Lost To Me
by LynnLautner
Summary: Edward leaves, Bella eventually falls in love with Jake and has his twins. The day she is to come home from the hospital she disappears leaving only a note. What happens when she returns sixteen years later? Not the typical Bella leaves Jake story.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first multi-chapter fic. Right now I am just throwing this Prologue out here. I don't have a Beta, I'm looking for one though, so hopefully me reading this over and over will have paid off. I have the first six chapters done and the plan is to post once a week, but I work until one in the morning and sometimes it is hard to write to make time to write. I don't have any plans to change the Prologue down the road, but it might just a warning. I have a playlist and pics of characters already and will try to post them sometime soon. Read on and enjoy.**

**As always I don't own anything but my own characters, although owning Jake would be nice.**

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Prologue

For the first time in a year I was alone to my thoughts, I didn't hear anything not a soul not a peep and it was great. My paws sunk into the soft ground that is a constant on the patrol routes of my home, La Push, Washington. I pushed myself forward letting myself feel the freedom of my somewhat newly acquired wolf form, what a crazy day that was, our fifteenth birthday; it was almost like world war three.

I had woken up that morning and shuffled into the hallway on the way to the bathroom when the smell of bacon hit me. I knew he would be cooking today, normally my sister does that, but today like every May twenty second for the last fifteen years he cooked on this day. Cooked the same breakfast he cooked our mother the day that we were born. Bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese omelets, pancakes and always a bowl of cereal.

As I made my way into the kitchen I saw my sister with her nose in that book again, the same old tattered love crap she would always read on this day as well. She had faith that our mother would come home, I on the other hand did not.

She just up and left that day and for that he never forgave her and neither could I, but Ali did and just like every year she would read that book go to grandpa's house and wait and hope, and come home at the end of the day crushed and in tears. Every year I would comfort her and tell her that it would be ok, and every year it wasn't. It made me angry more and more every year that she did it, but I wouldn't stop her. He wouldn't let me stop her because deep down I think he held hope too.

"Hey CJ" he said while spooning the eggs onto our plates. He looked up with the same joy and sadness in his eyes that he had every year on our birthday.

"Hey dad, Ali what's up?"

"Happy Birthday to you to CJ" Ali mock huffed, I walked over to her and ruffled her long hair causing her to squeal and smack me in the arm with her book.

"Happy Birthday Ali, you know I wouldn't forget our birthday, so what kind of trouble are we going to get into today?"

"Bikes or Cliff Diving" Ali looked up at our dad with hope in her eyes. He shook his head at that, "definitely no to the cliff diving Ali, but we can get the bikes out of the shed and see if we can get them running again."

A couple of years back when we moved into the new cabin dad and the guys built Ali and I spotted the bikes shoved back in the very back of his old garage under the same tarp as his old Rabbit, that thing was ancient. He built it and the bikes apparently to impress our mother when they were kids and when she left he put them back there and never looked at them again.

Ali and I ran out of the garage begging him and uncle Embry to take us for rides on them, he just got a far off look in his eyes and said no. After weeks of bugging him about the bikes he promised Ali and I that on our fifteenth birthday he would get the bikes out let us help him fix them up and then give them to us. Of course I wanted the black one and Ali wanted the red.

So today was the day we got our bikes, after breakfast we walked out to his new three bay garage and opened the door that hadn't been opened in the three years that we lived here. There sat the Rabbit and on each side of it were our bikes. Just as we were going to run in Embry and Angela pulled up the drive.

"Happy Birthday kids" they yelled at the same time. Embry of course walked up to Ali and ruffled her hair causing her to pout while Angela pulled her into a hug, shooting fake daggers at Embry for messing with a young girl's hair. I just rolled my eyes walked up to him and gave him a handshake.

"So you kids ready for this? I know you've been waiting a long time for your dad to pull these things out and get them running for ya."

I just nodded while Ali bounced around like a jackrabbit.

"Hey Jake you need help pushing the rabbit out"

Sure, sure dad said as he opened the door and popped it in neutral. They stood in front of the rabbit and gave it a push and it went rolling into the grass.

After that we got to work on the bikes dad and Embry agreed that not much should need to be done to the bikes since there wasn't anything wrong with them when he stored them away. Just new fuel, oil and some spark plugs and that should do the trick they said.

About an hour and a half in Angela and Ali went into fix some lunch, wolves need to eat is what they always said.

Ali and I know about dad and the pack, but we are the only ones. Dad said since we were his kids and he was Alpha we needed to know. No one else in the pack told their kids, so they didn't know…yet.

Ali and Angela came out with a mound of sandwiches on a plate, a couple bags of chips and some two liters of pop. After we ate Angela told Embry that she her and Ali were going to head to Forks, we all just gave a knowing nod.

When they pulled out of the drive we got back to work on the bikes and within the hour we were done, I hosed them off while Embry and dad pushed the Rabbit back into the garage.

We pushed the bikes out past the house and the garage into the backyard. Our cabin was pretty far back on the razz, we had about 10 acres, they tore down a bunch of trees to make a clearing in the backyard and the rest of the land was surrounded by forest all but a path that lead down to third beach. It was easier for the wolves to meet here, and Sam and Emily's was just getting to small, plus this was more private and easier since one of the patrol routes was right in the back yard.

Once we got to the back of the house dad told me how to start and ride the bike, and made it a clear point to NEVER use the front break by itself, something about flipping over the handlebars and getting hurt. Sounds to me like he had an experience with that at one time.

After riding around in the back yard for what seemed like hours with dad, and Embry's wolf running around trying to knock dad off his bike we started along the paved road toward Forks to pickup Ali and Angela, we knew Ali would want to get some riding time in before the bonfire tonight.

Once we pulled up to the old white house and cut the engines dad's posture went stiff and so did Embry's they both hung their heads and started trudging toward the back yard. Once we rounded the back of the house I saw Ali bawling her eyes out and Angela rocking her under the huge tree in the back yard. I felt the anger start to build up in me and I couldn't stand there and watch her crying her eyes out. I stomped around to the front of the house, but I couldn't get control of myself I just kept getting angrier and angrier and I was shaking and all I could feel was a burning heat working it's way up my feet and legs. As I was pacing back and fourth I could hear someone yelling my name and I could hear the same voice yelling for my dad, but nothing really registered until I felt his palms on either side of my shoulders. I looked up and my dads' eyes were almost wild and Embry's were wide as saucers. I could feel my dad's hands all over my face and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on. Over the ringing in my ears I could hear Embry yelling at my dad something about a fever and how long I had had it and my dad shouting back that he has been keeping an eye on us and nothing has been different.

I slumped to the ground as soon as my ears stopped ringing and the anger faded away. Dad propped me up against the tree in the front of the house and was looking at me like I had lost my mind.

"What" I snapped, I could see hurt and anger pass through his eyes before he took a deep breath, "what was that CJ you need to tell me exactly what happened there."

"I don't know dad, we walked around the back of the house and I saw Ali crying again and Angela rocking her and I just I don't know I got pissed and I couldn't stand there and see her tearing herself up again," the anger started to bubble up again the more I talked about it, " I couldn't take it so I came around front here and was trying to calm down, but I just couldn't calm down, just thinking about what that bitch did to you and to us, and the fact that Ali has came here ever since she was nine waiting for her to come back and she never does, she never comes back and she is never going to come back, it kept pissing me off more," I could see the anger in his eyes and I couldn't tell if the shaking was coming from me or from him for calling my mom love of his life a bitch, but I didn't care I was angry again and the heat was back. I tried to get up but he put his hands on my shoulders and shoved me back against the tree again.

I heard Embry yell at Angela to stay in the back, and I could hear him whispering to dad that this was crazy.

"You think I'm fucking crazy Embry! You turn into a god damn dog!"

His eyes went wide again and so did my dad's, great now I really am some kind of freak I'm cussing out my dad and his best friend and I am about burning alive.

Dad shoved me back into the tree again, I guess in my mini rage I was trying to fight my way to standing.

"Son you need to listen to me and listen good" He said in a tone that I have never heard before.

"You need to tell me right now what you are feeling"

"I already told you what I was feeling" I snapped.

"No what are you feeling? Are you hot?"

"Yes"

At that both dad and Embry sucked in a breath.

"What the hell is going on?" I all but shouted.

Dad and Embry looked at each other, and they both shook their heads.

"How long has this been going on CJ" Embry asked.

"How long have we been here?" I snapped back

"That can't be Jake this is just crazy, I had a fever for a week and you had it for 3 days before, are you sure he hasn't been feeling hot?"

"I think I would fuckin know Em I have been going in their rooms and checking them every night when they are sleeping for the last year and a half. I started when they were thirteen because Collin and Brady changed at fourteen, I've been keeping an eye believe me."

"What the fuck is going on with me" I roared.

Dad whipped his head back around to me with angry eyes, "don't you dare speak to me like that" he roared right back. As soon as he said it I flatted my self as much as I could against the tree and hung my head.

He snapped up and started pacing back and fourth "FUCK fuck, Embry he is already following commands, shit!"

I looked back up at Embry who was now sitting on his ass mouth hung open eyes wide and shaking his head, mutter over and over again, this can't be.

"Please"

I pleaded with my dad

"Just tell me what is going on"

He crouched back in front of me feeling my head again, "Em he's burning up and still shaking, how the hell could it come on this fast?"

"I don't know Jake, I really don't"

"CJ, are you sure you've never felt this before, any of it"

I looked at him and shook my head. "I told you as soon as I saw her this happened" I was starting to panic now they were being so damn cryptic. The fear in Embry's eyes and the anger in my dad's were starting to get to me.

"Have you been feeling sore, achy at all, lately CJ?"

"No everything has been normal up until I saw her hurting dad, I mean this morning when I woke up and smelled breakfast I got a little pissed because I knew that's what you made her on our birthday and when I saw Ali reading that damn book again I got mad, but nothing like this.

"Dad it hurts, it's like fire, like it's shooting up from my feet and spreading throughout my body. I couldn't stop it I tried and I couldn't stop shaking, and my ears were ringing, I swear dad nothing like this has ever happened before, I swear"

"I know son, I know" He pulled me into his chest and hugged me tight, just like when I was a kid.

"I'm sorry for getting so mad, I'm so sorry"

"CJ listen to me, this isn't your fault. You know what I am what the boys are? You know all about the legends that they are true and that I have told you that since you are little" he said as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes"

"I don't know why it is happening this way, but it's happening and there is nothing that you or I can do about, and I'm sorry for that son, but you're going to change, you're becoming one of us"

My mouth dropped open, I always thought it would be cool to change, to be a wolf, a protector of the rez, but not this way, this shit hurt.

Embry and my dad both chuckled.

"Shit did I say that out loud?"

My dad just nodded his head.

"What did you mean you don't know why it is happening this way?"

"Sam was the first to change, then Jared, Paul and Embry there, they had a fever for at least a week before the change CJ. So did most of the others. I had a fever for only 3 days and we are guessing because I am the Alpha that my change went quicker, but you, you haven't had a fever at all CJ. We run a temperature of 108 and you feel fine when you are calm, I would know if you were getting hot. That's why we don't know what is going on."

I just shook my head "so we don't know at all when it is going to happen to me? Like you guys had some kind of warning and I get nothing, one day I could just poof turn into a wolf? What about Ali you said that you are watching her too!"

"Yes the both of you, right now Leah is the only woman that has phased, but that doesn't mean that Ali won't since she is the Alpha's daughter."

"So what do we do now? It's not like I can't go to the bonfire tonight, it would kill her dad you know it would" I started to panic again. This bonfire means everything to Ali.

"We'll go tonight, but listen you have to stay by me or Leah all night since she is Beta, if you feel at all like you are getting pissed you need to tell one of us right away and we will get you out of there. I'm counting on you to be honest about this CJ, if you feel anything at all tell us."

I shook my head and he helped me up. We walked back around to the back of the house and Ali was fine now, Angela actually had her smiling. Dad still had his hand on my shoulder giving me the, are you fine look. I gave him a nod saying that yes I was fine and wasn't going to go all wolf.

Ali noticed me and got up and ran up to me, "so how are the bikes C?"

"Great Ali we go them both going and actually came to pick you up, you ready?"

Bouncing back and fourth she was acting like just minutes ago she was bawling her eyes out.

"Yeah let's do this!"

"Ok Ali you ride with me, CJ you take your bike and Angela and Embry will you go over to Leah's and tell her the news?"

Angela shot Embry a confused look and Embry mumbled that he would tell her on the way.

After riding around in the back yard with Ali on the bikes Leah showed up and I could hear her and dad talking about what was going on, she just kept shaking her head back and forth and asking questions about Ali and the other pack kids. Of course dad didn't really know what to say since my own change was coming about so quick and without fever until this morning in Forks.

As the sun began to set we were all making our way down to third beach, this is the most private of the three and since it's in the back yard this is where we have been doing the bonfires since we moved here. Every one had food, Sam and Emily brought the burgers and hot dogs and their two kids Cole and Aidan were helping them carry their food. Jared and Kim brought the buns, chips and pop and their kids Dakota, JJ, and Darby were helping them. Embry and Angela brought dessert, Angela had her own bakery here on the rez and her two girls Cheyenne and Sage where helping them carry the cake and pies. Paul and Rachel and their two boys Will and Tanner brought the rest of the food. Quil and Claire were meeting us down at the beach along with the council and Grandpa Charlie, they were getting the fire going and tables set up and from what I heard Brady and Collin running patrols. Leah and Ryder with their kids River and Tala followed close behind me.

The bonfire was the normal bonfire but this time the legend that Grandpa Billy told while staring at me hit me hard in a good way. I was glad to know that some day I was going to be part of this pack and I was going to be able to protect my home.

After the stories we opened gifts and everyone just sat around joking. I was staring into the fire when dad clapped his hand down on my shoulder and pointed across the fire over to grandpa Billy, "I'm going to go over and talk to your grandpa, I'm just going to be right over there and Leah is sitting right back there talking to Angela, are you going to be ok?"

"Yes dad, I'm fine" I said while rolling my eyes.

Dad got up and walked over to Grandpa Billy and started talking. Every thing was going fine until I heard Cole talking about Ali. I was surprised that I even heard anything because he was standing down by the beach with Tanner and JJ. Ali and the other girls were splashing around in the ocean.

"Man, Ali is really looking good tonight huh; I'd really like to see what's under that dress she's wearing"

"Dude, Ali is my cousin, that's just sick" Tanner said. JJ just nodded his head and looked over at the girls.

My hands began to shake and in the next instant I was up and running down to the beach, I could hear someone screaming my name, but it just wasn't registering. I lunged at him and when I fell on top of him I saw claws digging into his shoulders.

All I could hear after that was screaming in my head Ali, Tanner, Will, River, Aidan, and Dakota. Brady and even Collin were screaming. I couldn't get past hearing Ali screaming though I turned to look in her direction and all I saw was a light red wolf scrambling around in the water freaking out. The next thing I know I feel shaking beneath me and Cole turned into a small black wolf with a gray muzzle. Just as he was trying to fight me off I heard to worst thing I had ever heard.

"Every one stop right now; CJ get the fuck off of Cole, Ali calm down and get over here. Every one just stop." My dad roared. All of the wolves that I could see instantly flattened into the sand.

"Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry get the pups together, Brady and Collin shake it off and get back on patrol, Quil get Clair and the other imprints together and get the girls that didn't phase, Leah I need you to get the boys that didn't phase because we don't need them around anyone just in case."

After that night everything was explained to us and I mean everything, the boys that phased were kept away from their families for a couple of weeks to make sure that we had our tempers and phasing under control. Amazingly enough Ali was the best at phasing and turning human again with me not far behind. It took a while for Cole and I to not phase at the sight of each other, I still couldn't get the way he talked about Ali that night out of my head and it seems that I was not the only one unhappy about it. Cole is two years older than us and my dad just didn't like a seventeen year old talking about his fifteen year old daughter that way, but Ali thought it was funny, because she never had an interest in Cole what so ever.

Of course with a new round of pups phasing the whole imprint thing took an immediate affect. Poor Embry both of his girls were imprinted on. I imprinted on his youngest Sage who is a year younger than me and River my best friend and Dakota, who is also a wolf, had a double imprint.

_Hey kid_, Embry said snapping me out of my mini flashback of last year.

_You got anything yet_

_Naw I'm just running the outer boarder, _I sent him a mental picture of where exactly I was. I was just getting near the cement road that leads into La Push, it was still early in the morning, but the sun was out just enough that I had to be careful when I crossed over the road. As I was slowing down nearing the road a smell I had only encountered a few times crossed my senses.

_Shit kid hold still I'm on my way I'll be there in a few and I'll let the others know_

I crept toward the road a little closer and hunkered down under some brush, the stench was getting stronger the closer I go to the road, but I could hear a car.

_What the hell Embry vamps drive cars these days?_

_CJ really don't move any closer you don't know what you are doing, you've never fought a vamp on your own before just hold tight I'm almost there kid _I could hear him howl in the distance letting the pack know there was a leech in the area.

I couldn't help myself I crawled on my belly closer to the old treaty line that we haven't used in years due to the veggie vamps disappearance. The car that I heard coming had stopped and pulled to the side of the road. The stench was overwhelming almost making me gag every time I took in a breath of air.

I sat watching as a slender hooded figure climbed out of the jacked up four door Jeep, I let a small growl slip through my muzzle.

_Em…Embry its coming right to the boarder_, I showed him exactly what I saw. The small figure was getting close I could see the pale white hands swinging back and fourth, the brown hair that was coming out of the hood, but nothing else it's head was down and the hood of it's hoodie was up, I guess trying to keep from getting wet.

_What kind of leech is this? It's scared of getting wet._

_It's a smart one CJ it's playing a human very well, now stop moving, damn it I'm not telling you again. I am on the other side of the rez, just stop, Jake will kill me if anything happens to you and Sage won't be far off either._

The leech was now within feet of the treaty line, I wasn't going to let this bastard on my rez, near my imprint or my sister, no way no how. Blocking out the roars from Embry I launched myself out in the road right in front of the damn thing. It skidded to a halt, but the stench wouldn't go away with every blow of the breeze the smell was assaulting me. I lunged at it again, but it started walking faster toward me. I snarled my warning at the bloodsucker and ran straight for it. Its head snapped up and the hood fell back just as I was mid air. I Landed on top of the bloodsucker with my teeth at its throat ready to rip its head off when my dad yelled at me to stop.

_STOP? What the hell am I stopping for this bloodsucker is trying to get on the rez_, I yelled back tightening my teeth at its jugular

_CJ stop_

_Why_ I roared back

_Because damn it that's…. that's your mother, it's Bella_

My eyes widened in shock I looked down and I could see blood gushing from the gash at her throat, I could hear my dad's paws slamming into the mud as he was running as fast as he could to get here. I could hear Leah laughing and telling me that I did good kid, and that that's something she had wanted to do for years now. I could hear Embry yelling at her that this wasn't time to be making nasty comments about the leech lover.

Last of all I could hear sobs coming from two people Ali in wolf form crying because I may have just killed our mother, and our mother sobbing and gagging at the same time because her throat has nearly torn open.

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So there it is eh? Not to much into why Bella left. The first chapter is going to go back sixteen years and will give a lot more info. PLEASE review and let me know if this was ok or if you totally think it sucked either way. I'd like a review just to get a feel.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: So here it is the first chapter! This chapter went back sixteen years. In this story all of the original wolves had phased before the Cullen's left but Brady and Collin.**

**As always I don't own anything.**

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It's been almost two years now since Edward left me alone in the woods that day. It's amazing how one of the worst days of my life had brought me to the life I am living now. Jake was my rock through everything, he was there when I was a zombie, there when I was hearing voices, there when I told him everything, every single thing that happened with Edward and I, and everything I felt and heard once he was gone. He was also there smiling his Jake smile the day I ran to him tears streaming down my face six months ago, I told him the news that I was already two months pregnant with his child. There was no look of shock or fear, just the look of pure joy and love. In that instant I knew Jake was the man that I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.

Eight months earlier.

_It was my nineteenth birthday, and because Jake knew how the last one had ended he wanted nothing more than to give me a normal birthday. No parties I didn't want, no house of vampires and certainly no fancy expensive gifts that I would feel guilty about. Just Jake and Bella normal. _

_We took our bikes to the road where Jake first taught me to ride and we rode all morning. Jake packed us a picnic that consisted of ham sandwiches one for me and four for him, warm pop and chips. When we got done eating we lay back on the blanket and watched the clouds roll across the sky. _

_We talked about what we wanted out of life. I told Jake that I would love to open a book store or a bakery some day, and he told me that he was working on his GED; no one knew about that not even his dad. Jake was still in school but because Victoria was still around, not as often, but around none the less no one in the pack could have a normal school schedule. So even though Jake went to class when he could he was studying for his GED. He told me that he knew that once he passed the council would help him with tuition for the technical school in Port Angeles and he said that since his goal was to open a repair shop in La Push they would back him one hundred percent, anything to bring a new business to the rez._

_Talking to Jake that day made me realize how mature he really was, even though I was in love with him I still sometimes thought of him as a kid. I was nineteen after all and he was only seventeen, but sitting there with him telling me his plans for the future I could really see just how much Jake had matured since I came to Forks and what kind of man he was really going to be someday. I knew he was going to be a man that I would be happy to share a life with, at least until his imprint came along, and that's why I did what I did that day._

_Staring at the clouds Jakes head on my stomach, my fingers running through his hair I asked him why he never tried to kiss me. His body grew stiff and I clenched my eyes shut and held my breath. I felt the weight and heat of his head lift off my stomach. I thought being bold was the best way to go about it, I was scared that I had upset him some how, but when I opened my eyes he was hovering over top me. Hands on either side of my face shoulders locked. He wasn't touching me at all, but I saw the burning in his eyes and I knew I didn't make a mistake that my fears of upsetting him were totally off base._

"_Bells, I have never tried to kiss you because I didn't want to push you, I didn't think you wanted me any other way but a friend, and I'm fine with that"_

_A frown formed on my face, "Jake you really just want to be friends? How am I supposed to be friends with someone that I love so much?" I figured the first time telling Jake what was on my mind worked out why not again._

_Before I could even remove the smile on my face his lips were crashing into mine, his hot breath engulfing every single one of my senses and it was the single most wonderful feeling I had ever felt in my life. His kiss went from rough and quick to slow and sweet._

"_Bells, you really don't know how long I have waited for you to say that to me; you really don't know what you saying that does to me. I love you so much, I've always loved you since we were little kids and mud pies; it's always been you Bella." He said while kissing over my face and down my neck._

_I couldn't help when a low moan escaped my lips when his teeth grazed across my collarbone. I felt his body still. I hadn't even realized that his body was pressed up against mine. He moved his face back over mine and I stared deep into his eyes wanting to know what was wrong._

"_You really don't know what you do to me Bella. I can barely keep my lips off you now that they have been on your skin, and you moaning like that isn't helping, I don't want to move to fast you just…you taste as good as you smell"_

_I blushed at this, my smell? My smell as in my normal smell or the other smell I am sure Jake could pick up on just like __**he**__ could._

_Jake must have read the look on my face because he chuckled and I could have swore that I saw the slightest hint of pink on his russet skin._

"_Both smells Bells, both." What that he buried his face in my hair and drew in a deep breath. While pulling back he bit the tip of my earlobe making me suck in another breath and he whispered that he loved me._

_He pulled back, locking his elbows again, not letting his body touch mine. Not liking the cold breeze that was now blowing between our bodies I reached under his arms and up to his back and tried to pull him down on top of me. He didn't budge._

"_Bella I am serious I am not going to rush you into anything, I could spend years kissing you just like that and be a happy man."_

_While Jakes kisses were something like I had never felt before I wanted to feel more, the heat of his body pressed up against mine his warmth seeping into my cool skin._

_I bit my lip and tugged on his back again. With a groan he let me bring his body against mine. Once his body was closer I opened my legs so he could fall between them, that's when I felt it. Jake was aroused. I looked at him with wide eyes and he looked worried. He tried to pull away again, but I held firm._

"_Jake it's ok, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, didn't I ever tell you that your wolfy senses weren't fair? It's nice to know that I do to you what you do to me."_

_Again with the blush and a boyish slightly embarrassed look passed over his face. This Jake was new to me, I had never seen him embarrassed Jake was always confident almost to the point of cocky, but I didn't want him to be embarrassed around me or ashamed of the way his body reacted so I asked him to kiss me again, and he did._

_This kiss was one of heat and passion and there was a need for more. I needed more and he needed more, we both wanted more and nothing was stopping us now. His kisses were roaming down my neck and up to my ear, every time he made it up he would nibble on my lobe and all I could do was throw my head back and moan or turn my head so he had more space. I wanted to kiss his skin so badly so I reach my hands between us and grabbed the bottom of his shirt tugging it as hard as I could._

_It seemed the inches that Jake would move away to let the shirt come up I would unknowingly arch to meet his warmth again. He chuckled against my neck "Bells you know you are never going to get it off if you keep doing that?" I dropped my torso back down to the blanket and in one swift movement his shirt was up and off, and my body was touching his again._

_With Jake closer to my mouth I started to trail kisses along his neck and shoulder and down his chest, the only parts of his body that I could reach. When one of my kisses grazed his left nipple his hips ground into my center. The pleasure at that moment shot through me and my core arched off the blanket toward him, contact, this was the contact I was craving. Jakes movements above me stilled I couldn't help but kiss all along his chest, grazing his nipple with my lips again, getting the same result as before with a groan from Jake this time. He pushed his erection back from my center, but kept his body touching mine. He dropped his head between my breasts and I could tell he was trying to catch his breath._

_I looked down now at the top of his head and ran my fingers through his hair._

"_Jake, hey, what's wrong"_

_He looked up at me with almost a sadness in his eyes, "Bells, you really don't know how long I have wanted to do all of this to you, with you. I just, I don't want to move to fast, you only just told me that you loved me a couple of minutes ago and here we are like a couple of teenagers dry humping in a field."_

"_I know Jake, but this" I tried to gesture between us, "the way I feel about you has been happening Jake, all along. Since Edward left, my feelings for you have grown and the have gotten stronger and stronger every single day that I am with you. Why do you think I come around all the time Jake, it isn't for the warm soda and lovely grease smell of your garage."_

"_Then why didn't you tell me Bells, why now, what makes this day so different for you to finally tell me?"_

"_This Jake, this field, this picnic the road that you taught me to ride on, you never treat me like I am a china doll; like I am going to shatter at any moment, this place means so much to me and so do you and the last year that you have been here with me, not in front of me overprotecting be, you've been bedside me. I told you, you were sort of beautiful here. I lied to you that day Jake, you weren't sort of anything, you were, you are beautiful; everything about you, and it scared me. Yes your body is beautiful, and I was the typical teenage girl thinking that a guy with a stomach full of hard abs with no shirt on was hot. But over the last year I've learned that everything about you is beautiful Jake, your smile that literally reminds me of the warm sun every time I see it. The grease under your finger nails because I know you are working hard doing what you love and I know someday you will have that shop Jake and your dream. The way you are with your dad, the way you are with the pack, even Paul and Leah. You may get angry and moody sometimes with them Jake but you can't be upset with them to long and you can't stay mad at anyone. It makes you not only beautiful on the outside, its beauty on the inside too, and that is why I love you, why I am in love with you. I guess I just got tired of playing all these wonderful things about you over and over again in my head and wanted to share them with you, share my love with you, and not worry about the fears."_

_He looked up and me with a glint humor in his eyes, "So you think I'm hot huh, you liked my abs even back then."_

_Of course after everything I just said to him that is what he was going to pull out of it, I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him. _

"_I really love you Jake, and yeah I should have told you sooner, but I guess I was scared that I was going to do this and something would happen and I wouldn't have my best friend any more."_

"_I won't imprint Bella" _

_He always knew; how did he always know. I just shook my head "but Jake I know now that even if you do the time we have together how ever long that maybe will be worth it, you're worth it." and pulled him up for a kiss._

_This time the kiss was slower but lead to Jake taking my shirt and bra off looking into my eyes before doing anything asking my permission, like I was going to say no._

_His hot hands and lips were almost too much for me to take; before I knew what I was doing I was reaching between us fiddling with the button of his jeans. _

_I popped the button without out a fight from him and tried to slip my hand inside; I just wanted to touch him, just once._

"_Bells, Bella, are you sure you want to do this right now honey, we aren't moving to fast?"_

"_No Jake, I want this right now I just want to touch you to feel you…"_

_With a groan and a shake of his head Jake lifted his body the slightest bit, with cautious hands I reached into his pants and pulled back his boxers slipping my hand in. His head dropped down to the crook of my neck. What I felt there shocked me so much my eyes went wide and I jerked my hand back. He was so big, smooth, and hot and I felt the smallest bit of wetness there._

_Groaning in worry he whispered, "see Bells, I told you this was too soon. We don't need to do this, not now."_

"_NO!" I shouted, "No Jake I just I'm….I… I'm nervous ok, I've never done anything like this before, and it was just so big and hot, it just took me by surprise"_

_He pulled back, "You mean you never, with Edward, you never touched him" I shook my head no because no I never did touch him, but I wasn't going to tell Jake that I wanted to and he wouldn't let me._

"_That is the farthest I have ever gone with anyone Jake, Edward and I only shared chaste kisses, that's it, this with you and me is all new and I want everything to be with you."_

"_Me too Bells, I've… this is the furthest I have gone with any one too." _

"_Ok"_

"_Ok, so we can stop now if you want to Bells, we don't have to do anything else"_

"_Jake would you just stop already, I want to do this with you there are no regrets there are not going to be any regrets, even if we don't do that today doesn't mean we can't do other things." I said trying to wiggle my eyebrows at him, which caused a smile to split across his face._

_With that I slipped my hand back into his pants and placed my palm over the tip which was now even wetter than it was before, his head dropped back down to my hair and moans were slipping past his lips. I moved my hand around the tip and then tried my best to grab a hold of him and as I ran my hand down the length of him I could hear him chanting oh my god over and over again._

_I could tell that he was enjoying this, but I wanted to feel him even more, so I slipped my hand out the front of his pants and around to the back, I looped my thumbs in his pants and boxers with my fingers on the outside and began to pull them down. He locked his elbows and lifted himself up enough so that I could try and maneuver his pants down. With his body in the air and me underneath him I saw his erection spring out of his boxers and jeans when I got them low enough. My eyes almost shot out of my head. My first thought, there is no way that is ever going to fit, no way. My second thought was how much it was going to hurt when we finally did have sex. To keep Jake from worrying I slipped my foot into his jeans and kicked them the rest of way down to his ankles where he kicked off his boots and then his jeans. _

_Jake was naked…. Jake was naked and on top of me. _

_I brought my hands up to run along his butt and I felt him shudder into my shoulder. Oh god! It was as nice as I thought it was going to be. His abs weren't the only thing I was stealing glances at this past year. I couldn't help but run my hands back down and along the bubble of his butt once more causing him to shudder under my touch._

_I was working my hands back up his body running along his ribs when he broke out in goosebumps causing his nipples to harden unable to help myself I snaked my tongue out and flicked his left nipple, before I knew it I was being flipped over so I was straddling Jake while he sat himself up. We were almost eye to eye now and he dipped his head and took one of my now cold hard nipples into his mouth._

_I couldn't stop my head from falling back or the loud moan that escaped my lips. I could feel him smile into my breast. He then ran his hands down the side of my ribs and onto the lower part of my back. He rocked me against his hips and as he did he snuck his hot hands into the back of my jeans grabbing my ass in the process._

_I lurched forward at the feeling, the now cold skin of my chest making contact with the hot skin of his made me hiss out his name. He pulled my hips closer to his, rocking us together his hands still in the back of my jeans. I wrapped my arms around his neck and the next time he rocked our hips together I ground down further into his hips with mine. _

_He looked up at me a question in his eyes; with a nod of my head it was answered. He slid his hands out of the back of my jeans and around to the front. With shaky hands he popped the button of my jeans and slid my zipper down. He put his hands back into the back of my jeans and then he was on his feet my legs hung loosely at his sides. He slowly took his hands out of my jeans running them along my back letting my feet slowly hit the ground. He crouched down in front of me and pulled off my boots and socks and then with his head at my stomach locking his eyes with mine began to pull down my jeans._

_The second my jeans were over the swell of my butt he looked down and his breath caught at the site of my white panties; they were nothing special just white bikini underwear with a little bow on top. I blushed, way to go Bella wearing your granny panties. I groaned inwardly looking up at the sky I'm sure this was something I was never going to live down. _

_My head snapped down the instant I felt his nose press into the juncture between my thighs._

"_God Bells you smell so good" He said while running his nose from side to side kissing the skin on my upper thighs as he did._

_He looked up at me, "Can I Bells?"_

_I just shook my head. He ran his hands back up my legs and tucked his finger tips into the side of my panties and began to slowly pull them down following them with kisses to my legs as they went. I had to hold onto his shoulder when he slipped them off. I tried my hardest not to cover myself. He was inches from me and I was bare. I could only cringe, why did I have to be the freak that had a thing about hair down there? _

_Looking down at him with what I was sure was the worst blush known to man he looked up at me with hooded eyes and smiled, "You don't have to be embarrassed with me honey" he was now using my own words against me. _

_Once again he pressed his nose to my skin took a long deep breath. The air I felt being sucked in by him was making me shiver._

"_Can I…. Can I touch you Bells" I looked down at him and nodded my head._

_He almost took me by surprise when he ran his nose down further, I was clutching his shoulders at this point just trying to keep myself falling over I was staring at the sky trying to contain the shudders that were ripping through my body._

"_You cold honey?"_

"_No Jake, just…it feels good"_

_He wrapped his arms around the small of my back and pulled me forward while shifting himself back. My body slid down his until I was on my knees in front of him. He pushed my hair over to the side and slowly began to lick and suck on my neck; I didn't notice that at the same time he was slowly lowering my body back onto the blanket. He was now lying beside me still kissing me but his hand moved around from back over my hip to cup my core._

"_Oh my god Jake," I cried out jerking in surprise._

_He then started to palm me, moving his entire hand back and fourth, I couldn't help but wiggle around he felt like he was every where his body was pressed into my side, his lips were on my neck and his hand was rubbing me over and over again._

"_I'm going to touch you now Bella"_

"_Mmm yes Jake"_

_With one slow movement on a down stroke he let one of his fingers slip in between my lips at this his lips stilled and his hips bucked into my thigh, I thought I could feel him shudder too. _

_He then ran his finger down and back up again and when he hit my bundle all the air whooshed out of my lungs, it felt so damn good._

"_Alright Bells?"_

_All I could do was mumble and nod my head once again._

_He kept running his fingers up and down and then circling the one around my clit when I couldn't stop writhing around I felt the heat spread up my belly I knew I was close and Jake must have to because his finger on my clit was replaced by his thumb and he thrust one of his long hot fingers into me. I cried out in surprise and pleasure which made him stop._

"_Don't stop Jake, feels so good"_

_He quickly recovered moving his fingers faster and faster in and out and circling. I was clinging to his ribs now and moaning non stop. _

"_Jake I'm… I… just I think… I'm right there Jake"_

_With two more thrusts of his finger and circles of his thumb I came undone. My body jerked up off the blanket and in that moment I almost thought I was having a seizure. I was shocked at my bodies reaction; it wasn't like I had never done this before, but my body had never responded that way. Jake slowly stopped moving his thumb and slipped his finger out of me trailing his hand back over to my side to grip my hip._

_I turned to my side still trying to catch my breath staring into Jake's eyes I noticed that they were a shade darker yet there was light in them like I had never seen. I wanted him to feel what I just felt. _

_I snaked my hand down between us and started pumping his shaft, I could see the pleasure run across his face and his intake of breath, but he kept his eyes locked with mine. The more I pumped him the stronger his grip on my hip got and it felt so good. The look in his eyes made my heart swell with love, love stronger than I ever thought I had with Edward, and in that moment I made my decision._

"_Jake I want, I want to feel you inside me"_

_A look of almost confusion crossed his face; I panicked thinking that he was going to say no, I didn't want him to say no, I wanted to feel every inch of him._

"_Please"_

_With that he slowly pushed my onto my back me still gripping his member. _

"_Are you sure Bells; I mean I don't want to hurt you"_

"_Jake I think as long as you go slow you aren't going to hurt me"_

_He shook his head and dropped it down by my neck and into my hair._

_I pulled him closer to my core and sucked in a deep breath when I felt the heat of him on the outside of me._

"_Are you sure Bells, are you ready"_

_I shook my head "Yes Jake"_

_He started to push into me and I let out a small yelp of pain, it was burning like nothing I had ever felt before. One hand was on his chest pushing away because of the pain, and the other on his lower back drawing him further in. I widened my legs a little thinking that if I gave him more room it would sting as much._

"_I'm sorry Bells, I'm so sorry, you sure you want to" before he could finish I ran my teeth over his nipple knowing it would cause his hips to buck forward, which they did. He thrust into me breaking my barrier both of us crying out in the same instant. My back arched toward him and my feet came off the ground. The pain was almost too much, it hurt so badly and I couldn't help the tears that escaped my eyes. Jake must have felt my tears on his face because his head shot up his eyes locking mine with worry._

"_I'm sorry honey" He started to pull out, but I didn't want him to; I placed my other hand on his lower back. "No just stay still for a minute just let my body adjust Jake" and so he did we sat there starring at each other for who knows how long him kissing away the few tears that were shed._

_Finally the pain wasn't as bad as it was before so I gave Jake a nod and he slowly began to move his hips back and forth. I grunted at the pain still there, but the pleasure was slowly out weighing that burning feeling. Jake was on his elbows and every slow movement into my body his bare chest would rub mine and soon I was almost hissing with pleasure._

"_Bells I never felt anything like this before you're so tight, I'm sorry honey, oh god you feel so good"_

_I slowly started to rock my hips to meet his and not soon after Jake was picking his head up and dropping it back down into my shoulder._

"_Please faster Jake, I'm getting close, ugh mmm feels so good Jake"_

_He started to rock his hips faster and soon the rhythmic rocking turned into erratic movements I could barely keep up with them. "Oh god Jake, oh oh my god" At that he started to pump harder into me; the pain was no more and his body slamming into mine sent me over the edge once again, my body started to shake and shudder and as soon as I felt my muscles clamp down on Jake he threw his head back with a roar and was shuddering himself. His hands moved from beside me to my hips and with another grunt and thrust he shuddered one last time and fell on top of me. _

_I couldn't breathe at his massive weight on me, but at the time I didn't care I wanted his heat and I got it all of it, I soaked in every single inch of it, and when he began to get soft he reached behind me grabbed onto the blanket and rolled onto his back effectively rolling me into a Jake burrito. I snuggled my head into his chest and wrapped my arm around him. Slowly I started to drift drawing circles on his abs._

"_Love you Jake"_

"_Love you too Bells"_

With the shifting of the bed I was brought out of my dream and I looked into the eyes of Jake. He was holding a tray of breakfast; bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese omelets, pancakes and a bowl of cereal.

"How are my babies doing this morning?"

I smiled up at him stretching my legs and arms out "we're fine Jake" I said while rubbing my belly.

"Breakfast in bed" he said while placing the tray on my lap.

I just sighed I loved breakfast in bed, but at the same time I was so damn sick of it. I had been put on bed rest over a month and a half ago after a bleeding scare sent me Jake and our dads in a frenzy, to the hospital. The doctors were honesty surprised that I had made it this long. These babies were big, and it's not uncommon for someone carrying twins to go into preterm labor. Maybe it was all the weighting on me hand and foot my dad Jake and Billy had done over that time that kept these babies in there I don't know, but I was grateful.

Since that night at the hospital I have been down at La Push staying with Jake and Billy. One of many reasons was because Charlie still had to work, but another more pressing matter, Victoria. She was still on the loose. It had been almost two years and she was still coming around. Still giving the boys chase.

Every time she came around she was not alone either. Almost every time she would come the wolves would get who she had brought with her, but they never got her. She was smart and she was fast and she had reason and a purpose which made her more dangerous.

From the minute Jake found out that I was pregnant there was a wolf with me at all times, an older wolf I should say. Jake would never let Collin or Brady watch over me alone he said that even though they had fought and killed their fair share of Victoria's vamps he wanted more experienced wolves looking after me and the babies.

Jake sat on the side of the bed while I ate my breakfast he couldn't stop staring at me with a twinkle in his eye; I was getting close we all knew it. After that scare last month I really thought that was going to be it, but I had made it and we were so close to being full term that every one was giddy and on edge. One of the babies kicked and I sighed. Jake rushed up the bed and put his hands on either side of my belly. A big smile spread across his face when the baby kicked again and the other moved its entire body to adjust.

"Ugh, do they really have to do the conga in there" My poor body was stretched to the limit and I was ready for this to be over. I literally hadn't walked on my own since I got out of the hospital, I sat in Jakes huge t-shirts and sweats all day long and I'm sad to say that his pants almost fit just right these days.

With as sigh I let my head drop back against the head board and I felt Jake shift on the bed so his head was resting ever so slightly on my stomach.

"I love that sound Bells, I wish I could record it for you, just so you could hear it once"

He loved doing that, and as creepy as it sounds all of the other wolves had done it at least once before even Paul which was a shocker. If they put their head on my belly they could hear their little heart beats flutter.

"Ouch" Jake acted like he was hurt when one of the twins kicked him in the side of the head, his sunny smile spread across his face and he couldn't hold back the laughter. Neither could I, and I couldn't stop until;

"Damn it" I hissed, did I really just piss myself.

I covered my eyes in irritation; that is until the wetness kept coming. My hands came down onto the bed fisting the sheets, I know my eyes were as huge as saucers because in that instant Jakes laughter quickly died off, "WHAT what is it Bells, you ok" Jake nearly screamed at me. I could hear Billy grunting as he tried to rush down the hall and back to Jakes room.

"Jake oh my GOD Jake I think my water just broke, oh my god Jake what are we going to do?" I shouted on the verge of panic.

Pulling it together Jake rushed past Billy who was now in his doorway with his own set of wide eyes. I heard the front door slap against the bench in the living room and the engine of the Rabbit roar to life. For a minute I thought he was leaving without me until he was racing back in the bedroom with my hospital bag flung over his shoulders. He scooped me and the covers up nearly running over Billy on his way out the door. Just as we were reaching the front porch Charlie was stepping out of his cruiser a big smile on his face.

"What are you kids up to" he started to ask when the smile on his face vanished as soon as he saw the panic in Jakes eyes.

"What? What is it?" Charlie asked in his best cop voice.

"Her water broke Charlie we gotta get her to the hospital." Jake yelled nearly dumping me into my dad's arms. Sprinting back in the house I could hear Jake yelling at Billy to get his ass down the hall.

He was running back out an instant later Billy in his arms dragging the wheel chair behind him. Charlie put me in the front seat of the cruiser while Jake nearly threw Billy in the back and the chair in the truck. Charlie and Jake jumped in at the same time. Charlie flipping the switch for the sirens and lights and then we were peeling out of the drive. I looked back and noticed that the Rabbit was still running both doors hanging open right in the middle of the yard.

"Jake you need to call someone to get the Rabbit, you left it in the front yard, and we are going to need it"

Jake dug into the pocked of his cut offs calling Embry and yelling at him what had happened and to tell the guys that he couldn't make it today.

The closer we got to the hospital the dizzier I got, I couldn't quell the feeling that I was on the verge of passing out. I laid my head back on the head rest and was fighting to keep my eyes open I saw Charlie look over at me with panic in his eyes, I don't know if I looked like something was wrong or Charlie was worried about his baby having babies, but I didn't like what I saw there. The last thing I felt and heard before everything went black was Jakes hand on my shoulder and him shouting to me to talk to him.

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**You like? Yes...No? Review!**

**Next Chapter will be out either this weekened or early next week. Right now work has me on for the next 7 days so we shall see...**


	3. Chapter 2

_Here it is Chapter 2! Sorry that I didn't get this out this weekend like I said I would, but I once again got called into work. First off I want to thank dorme99, mizzymarii, angel04une, Ctulee06 and Kayla for your reviews, I've gotten tons of alerts and hits for this story, but I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review for me. I'm still looking for a Beta for this story._

**As always I don't own anything, sadly SM does**.

* * *

I woke up hours later groggy and in pain. I started to panic when I could move my legs. My hands were scrambling to the side trying to rip the covers off my legs to see if they were still there, why they wouldn't be I don't know. While doing this my nails came in contact with Jake's warm forearm pulling him out of his sleep. I didn't even notice that his head was resting on my legs, because I couldn't feel it.

My hand shot to my belly because it wasn't as huge and round as I last remembered. I started to sob, "the babies Jake what happened to the babies?"

Jake pulled himself up to me quickly smoothing my hair I batted his hand away, "what's wrong Jake what happened to my babies?"

"Shh Bells they're fine, just in the nursery, everything's ok honey" Jake said while smoothing the hair out of my face once again.

"What happened Jake, the last thing I remember was looking back at the Rabbit and Charlie's face?"

"From what they told us Bells your water did break, but on the way to the hospital you passed out because your blood pressure went through the roof, it was crazy Bells one minute you are yelling at me about leaving the Rabbit and the next you were slumped in the seat. I can't thank god enough that Charlie was the one that drove us here, I could have lost all of you Bells" he said as tears left streaks down his face.

"When we got here I ran in with you and they took you right into the operating room. Everything went so fast, they wouldn't let me in there with you because everything that was going on, but I could hear it all through the door. They were yelling that they had to get the babies out and that your blood pressure was still going up. They gave you something I don't know what it was, can you feel your legs yet?"

"No"

"They took the babies Bells, but they are ok now, just in the nursery, they are watching them because your pressure was so high they wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with them, your legs are numb because of the shot they had to give you to do the emergency c-section. They said it should wear off in a couple of hours"

"How long have I been here? When were they born? What are they?"

"We've been here since around ten this morning and it's five in the afternoon now so it's been around seven hours or so, the boy was born first at ten thirty and the girl was born shortly after at ten thirty five they had trouble getting to her she was up under your ribs pretty good, she's the one that kicked me this morning." He said with a smile on his face.

I let out a huge sigh of relief, my babies were ok, I was ok, a boy and a girl one of each, it was perfect.

"Can I see them?"

"Yeah just push that button and we can call the nurse, they told me to let them know when you woke up any way, I need to let Charlie and Billy know, most of the pack is here too except the guys on patrol. Everyone was pretty freaked out Bells, you should have seen Leah I thought she was going to punch a nurse when they tried to take the boy away from her.

I looked at him and my brows shot up in question, "No Bells she didn't, she just, they're so tiny and she was on patrol when I phased to tell them that everything was ok, I let everything from this morning slip, she just kind of freaked out a bit"

I gave a sigh of relief, not that it would have been a terrible thing for Leah to imprint on my hours old son, but because I finally felt that we were growing closer and Leah was a great friend and person once you got through the walls she had built around her heart.

"Did anyone…. on the girl?"

"Not sure Bells, the only ones that have seen the kids are Billy, Charlie, Leah and I" As soon as she saw everything she took off and got here within a couple of minutes. The pack has been waiting in the waiting room since. Embry brought the Rabbit with the carseats and your bag that I forgot on the porch.

* * *

The nurse came strolling in the room interrupting Jake, "hello Miss Swan how are you feeling? Are you getting any feeling in your legs just yet?" She asked while looking over the chart at the foot of the bed.

"It feels like they are asleep you know that prickly feeling"

"That's good that means that the spinal we had to give you is wearing off. It should be completely gone in a couple of hours. In the mean time I need to check your dressings and then we can get those darling babies of yours in here to you. I see you have a waiting room full of family so once we get all of that done you can have visitors, but just two at a time until tomorrow morning ok."

"Ok that sounds great"

Jake stood up, "ugh Bells I'm going to go tell everyone that you're awake, Charlie is still pretty freaked out and I know he and Billy are going to want to be some of the first to see the babies again when we can get them" He bent down and dropped a kiss to my forehead and then strolled out of the room.

"You know he is so crazy about you" The nurse stated, as I looked up at her "Yeah I'm pretty crazy about him too"

She chuckled, "I know it's nothing to laugh at because of how serious things were when you first came in but he was almost out of his mind with worry he was pacing in front of the operating room door so fast I thought he was going to set the floor on fire.

Oh my name is Mia by the way; I was in the operating room when your babies were born. They are beautiful some of the prettiest I have seen on my rounds here. The girl looks just like you and the boy, splitting image of him" she pointed to the door Jake just went through.

After she was done redressing my stomach and taking my vitals she left the room, Jake came in pushing a little plastic bassinet with Charlie and Billy in tow.

I could see movement and I could hear both of their little whimpers and my eyes instantly filled up with tears. The sound of their little noises sent my heart into an instant flutter and Jakes head shot up in fear.

"You ok Bells? You feel fine"

"Yeah Jake it's just they sound beautiful" I said rolling my eyes.

He pushed the bassinet right up to the bed "you wanna hold them both or one at a time"

"Both, I want to see them both"

Jake sat on the side of the bed reached in and pulled out the boy, I could tell by the little blue and white knit cap they had on his head. My heart clenched at the site, even though he had a cap on I could see jet black hair poking out from under it. I cupped my hands to my mouth trying to not let the sob escape' he really was the spitting image of Jake. He slowly placed him in my arms and I could not stop the tears from flowing.

"She was right Jake, oh god she was right" I sobbed while pulling back his cap to look at the full head of hair.

"The nurse she said he was the spitting image of you and she was right" I looked up into his twinkling eyes he was nodding his head, I looked over at Billy who also had tears streaming down his face, he knew it too.

I couldn't take my eyes off his hair though, I gently ran my fingers through the soft locks, I had never seen a baby with this much hair before. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face "we are never letting him cut it Jake…. EVER" I said in a stern voice. He just beamed and nodded at me.

I shifted the boy to my right arm and Jake bent down to pick up the girl. I gasped again because this time I saw chestnut hair, my hair peeking out of her pink and white cap. I knew my eyes where shining they had to have been. I looked at Charlie and he was nodding his head up and down rocking back and forth on his feet, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Just like you Bells, you looked just like that the first time I held you" his voice cracked at while speaking.

Looking back down at her Jake slowly pulled her cap back so I could see her hair, she didn't have nearly as much as the boy did, but there was still a lot of it there.

"What are their names" I asked as I looked up at him.

"They don't have names yet Bells, we didn't decide on anything so I wasn't going to do that without you."

"I think I know what I want to name them, if that's ok. Looking at them I just know"

"Billy if it's ok with you can we name her Sarah?" He bowed his head shoulder shaking as he cried, he looked up at us, "yes Bella I wouldn't want it any other way" I then looked at Jake, don't get mad Jake but I really want her middle name to be Alison. I know you didn't like Alice, but she was my best friend, can that be her middle name.

I was worried that Jake was going to be mad at me for even asking, but to my surprise he smile at me and said that it was a great name.

"Sarah Alison Black, I like it, oh and we can call her Ali for short Jake, it's just perfect"

Everyone in the room nodded their agreement.

"The boy Bells what do you think for him?" Jake asked a curious look on his face.

I looked at my dad tears still streaming down my face "Charles" he beamed, the biggest smile I had ever seen from him, he sat down by Billy and clasped his hand on his friends shoulder, then I looked at Jake "Jacob"

"Charles Jacob Black:" I looked up at him and he too was crying harder at this point, everyone in the room was a crying blubbering mess, the babies in my arms oblivious to the scene before them.

"Perfect" was all Jake could say.

* * *

After every one dried their tears Charlie and Billy held the babies once more and we took some pictures with the camera from my bag they left and slowly everyone from the pack started to trickle in. First were Seth and Leah I held my breath when Seth held Ali so close I kept looking at Jake for conformation as to weather or not he had imprinted on her, this was going to be harder than I thought; he just shook his head no, and as soon as they left the room he whispered into my ear that Seth had never held a baby before and he was mostly freaking out, that is why he was hold her at staring at her so close. He warned me that most of the guys in the pack had never held babies before but Quil because of Claire.

Next were Embry and Quil, both of them looking uncomfortable at first, but once they got the hang of such tiny babies they were laughing and acting like normal Embry and Quil, he even got in a that's what she said joke in at one point. They asked Jake and me if it was ok for them to call Charles CJ and we both agreed that it was.

After that the couples came, Jared and Kim walked in; her quietly as she could squealing all the way, Jared just shaking his head behind her. She cried the entire time she was in the room and wouldn't stop looking up and Jared and all he could do was shake his head. I swore I could hear him whisper under his breath not to long honey. Not sure if my ears were playing tricks on me I shrugged it off.

Paul and Rachel came next, Paul holding Ali was a sight because the instant he held her she starting grunting then promptly pooped, Jake couldn't help but teasing him about the one who holds the baby while they poop changes them. The look of fear that shot over Paul's face was priceless. Jake just laughed took Ali and changed her. Rachel couldn't contain the sobs when we told her Ali's name. I was worried at first that she would be upset that we named our daughter Sarah without leaving the name to her, and she told us that she didn't mind that if they had a girl she wanted to use Sarah's middle name instead. Paul just got wide eyes at the thought.

Next were Sam and Emily, Emily ran in hugging me tightly apologizing that it took her so long to get here. Her son Cole was two years old and that he was cutting teeth and she had to get one of the babysitters on the rez to watch him so she could visit. I told her that it was fine and she said that we understood. When she held the babies she was beaming and so was Sam, I could tell something was up from the looks on both of their faces.

"What is it you guys" I asked.

"Oh Bella don't worry about it we will talk about it later" Emily said not taking her eyes off CJ.

"Tell me what is it Emily"

"I'm just so happy, now Cole is going to have someone to play with and the new baby is going to be so close in age to these two" Sam closed his eyes and shook his head what a smile on his face. Emily still looking down at the twins.

"What oh my god Emily why didn't you tell me!"

"Bella I didn't want to spoil it for you, I mean we got all the attention when we had Cole and we just wanted the same for you"

"How far along are you" I all but squealed out

"Six months" she shouted with a gleam in her eye, both Jake and Sam were chuckling in the corner.

"I've been trying so hard to keep it a secret and thank goodness that I am just now starting to show, but I'm so happy that the kids are going to be so close in age, they'll be best friends and we can have sleepovers and play dates."

Sam stepped over to Emily, "it maybe a while for that honey," he said placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be perfect Emily, it was hard being an only child and it's good to know that not only will these two have each other but other kids around too."

When Sam and Emily cleared out and a call from Renee that consisted of a lot of squealing and crying and demands of Jake to send her as many pictures as he could because her and Phil were currently out of the country on some kind of baseball trip we settled in for the night. Jake slept on the tiny fold out sofa that was in the room and the babies slept in their bassinet. They were perfect both of them only waking up twice at night too feed. I had wanted so badly to nurse them but because of everything I had gone through my milk wasn't coming in and there was no way I was going to let them struggle so much so we chose to let them have formula.

Through out the night the feeling came back to my legs and they actually let me walk around the room a little since my blood pressure also was going back down. I was told though that instead of the normal four day stay for a c-section they were going to have me stay five to six depending on how my pressure was.

* * *

The next morning right around ten I heard Jake quietly talking to someone when I opened my eyes I saw Angela holding Ali and Jake was feeding CJ.

"Angela! I'm so glad you came! You didn't have to come all the way back here; don't you have a couple more weeks of school left?"

"Bella there is no way I wouldn't have came home and not seen you and these beautiful babies," she said stroking Ali's hair.

"How is Ben?"

I saw her wince a little and I knew this wasn't going to be good.

"We broke up about four months ago, he is at Yale and I'm staying at UDUB and no matter how much we wanted it to work, it just wasn't but we still talk a lot and every thing is good, we're still friends." She said with a sad smile on my face while looking down at Ali.

"I'm sorry Ang I didn't know, I haven't talked to you in forever, you should have called, we could have talked"

"It really wasn't that bad, I mean we were together for a while, but these last two years of having a long distance relationship was so hard and it's kind of like we slipped into friend mode anyway. It's for the best I just wanted him to be happy and he just wanted the same for me so it works" she said with a shrug.

"Hey Bells, can you finish feeding CJ while I go out and talk to the guys. Embry and Seth are in the waiting room and I need to get an update on what's going on down at the rez.

"Sure, sure" I said holding out my hands to grab CJ.

He walked over to me and placed CJ in my arms with the bottle and I continued to feed him, while Angela and I caught up on what she had been doing since I last saw her.

About a half hour later CJ was sleeping and Angela was feeding Ali her bottle I heard Jake and Embry walking down the hall laughing. Jake walked into the room first, he came over and kissed me on the forehead and took CJ out of my arms kissed him on the head too and placed him in the bassinet. Embry was standing in the doorway waiting for Jake to move around the small space.

Jake then walked over to Ali who was now sleeping with her little mouth barley on the nipple of the bottle falling asleep as well. He stood in front of her and picked up Ali to place her by CJ in the bassinet.

"Em you remember Angela? She was with Bella that fist time you met her on First Beach, the one in the van?"

Embry started to walk over to her his hand outstretched as he walked, but he stopped dead in his tracks when Angela looked up at him. His mouth hung open his hand still held out and he just stood there. He let out a small choking sound. Jake swung around with a smug look on his face and giddy excitement was bubbling up within me and to be honest a little bit of fear. I had never seen an imprint happen, and this was something else.

Angela stood up not breaking eye contact and walked over to Embry bypassing his outstretched hand, she was standing mere inches from him craning her neck to continue looking up into his eyes. I could hear the pants coming from Embry's direction as his breathing picked up and his mouth was still dropped open. Angela stepped further into Embry's space slipping her arms around his waist she dropped her head onto his chest and he instantly wrapped one arm around her back and the other rested on the back of her head. I looked at Jake who would not take his eyes off the scene before him. I knew he was watching so close so he could either show the guys or so he could have something to tease Embry about later on.

And just like that Angela backed out of Embry's embrace red staining her checks her eyes wide. She shook her head back and forth to get her bearings; Embry did the same when eye contact was broken. She backed up even more held out her hand and said, nice to meet you again Embry I'm Angela Webber Bella's friend from high school.

With a dumbfounded look on his face he took her hand and they both gasped but he held tighter to her hand. "I'm Embry Call me and Jake go way back, I remember you from the beach, you didn't want to surf," he stated with a goofy grin.

Jake couldn't help but chuckle as he muttered under his breath a long drawn out; smooth Call. Embry shot a glare in Jakes direction and continued to shake Angela's hand until she looked down at it.

"Oh uh sorry bout that" I could see Embry's cheeks get red, I had never seen Embry blush before.

Not wanting the awkwardness to continue I cleared my throat and asked Embry how he was doing and if everything was going fine at the rez he answered swiftly but still wouldn't take his eyes off Angela. Hers started to dart around the room and I didn't want her to get uncomfortable.

"Hey Jake can you and Em go down and get me and Angela something to drink from the cafeteria?"

"Sure, sure Bells" Jake said with a grin while practically pulling Embry out of the room.

The second the door clicked closed Angela shot over to my bed breathing hard. "Oh my god Bella what was that! I can't believe I hugged him, he probably thinks I'm a weirdo. That was Embry; are you sure he is the one that was with Jake on the beach that day, he's huge, and he is so hot too, I have totally had a crush on him since that day" she almost sounded like a crazed person words were just spitting out of her mouth and honestly if I didn't know any better I could have swore I heard Jake laugh just outside the door and clap Embry on the back.

* * *

The rest of the day was interesting to say the least. Embry was always right beside Angela never stepping to far away and her the same, the rest of the pack quickly finding out about his imprint were relentless in teasing him in his state of mushy lovey dovey imprint bliss as Quil put it.

Brady and Collin were finally off patrol and at hearing about Embry's imprint decided to play a little joke on Jake.

When they both strutted into the room and shot me a coy wink at the same time I knew something was up. They both walked over to the bassinet where Ali was laying and looked intently into her little eyes, both of them at the same time gasped and grabbed onto each others arms. Jake whipped around so fast I thought he was going to fall over and I could feel the heat start to radiate from his body. His eyes wide he began to shake. They both looked up at him and busted out laughing. Needless to say neither of them were in the room much longer and Jake kicked them out each with a thump to the head. As soon as they left he ran over to Ali picked her up and plopped down on the sofa with a huge sigh.

I couldn't contain my laughter after that, which soon turned into a hysterical fit after Jake shot me a look of utter disbelief.

"What are you laughing at Bells, you didn't even freak out, you really want one of those two to imprint on our girl here" Through the fit of laughter and the slight wincing from my skin pulling on the staples I told him about the winks when they walked through the room that it was all just a plan to get a rise out of him and that it worked.

* * *

The next couple of days went much the same. Embry and Angela were pretty much attached at the hip. Charlie was going to take a week off work so he could help Jake and me once I got out of the hospital. I think if at all possible he and Billy had grown even closer seeing as how they were grandpas now. Them being in cahoots all those years had finally paid off.

Leah and Seth continued to visit together so did the rest of the imprinted couples. Sue even stopped by to visit a couple of times. She wasn't able to come as often as she would have liked, because she was a nurse in the trauma department and that kept her busy. Collin and Brady had only stopped by for a few short minutes one other day, they didn't look comfortable the entire time they were visiting, what with Jake shooting them death glares the entire time.

The day that I was getting out of the hospital Charlie had been called to a bad accident out on 101 which meant Billy had to stay at home because he and the babies along with us and everything from the hospital wouldn't fit in the Rabbit. Early that morning Mia the nurse told me that they were going to discharge me in the afternoon after she showed Jake and I how to properly feed and bathe the babies until their cord stump had fallen off and that we had some paperwork to fill out. She also told Jake that before we left it was hospital policy to check the carseat bases to make sure they were installed properly and if not she would help him do it correctly.

After everything was filled out she took the babies back to the nursery so she could take Jake down and make sure the seats were installed right. He dropped a kiss to my forehead and told me he would be right back. Mia told me that they were sending up a wheelchair as well to get me and all my stuff out to the car.

I stood up and hobbled over to the windows to look out at the forest, I could see a streak of black dart through the woods and I knew it was Sam. Jake told me that Victoria had come back while I was here. No wonder almost all of the pack was either here or absent for chasing her away. I heard a howl rip through the forest and I shuddered. Just then the door to the room opened, just as I was about to turn around a hot hand slipped around my waist I sunk back into his embrace, but it was to late for me to notice that this body was not Jake's and it was to late for me to struggle when the white cloth was placed over my mouth, to late to scream when everything went black.

* * *

_So what do you think? Hmmm bit of a cliffy huh._

_Review_


	4. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Chapter 3 is here, sorry but this one is a bit shorter than the last few, but the next one is all Jake and pretty long at that. I will try and get the playlist link and the link to my photobucket up so you can check out the characters soon. As always I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story, I get all warm and fuzzy knowing that you took the time to do so. **_

_**SM owns all but the characters I have come up with. **_

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Chapter 3

I awoke screaming and in pain. I was on a semi hard surface. Was it all a dream? The bright lights were in my eyes was I still in the hospital? I looked around the room and it was plain white, I looked down and yes I was on a hospital bed, but I wasn't in the hospital. My head was killing me and I my entire body ached. I tried to sit up but I was restrained. My arms and legs were in shackles that were attached to the hospital bed. I tried to fight my way out of them but I gasped in pain every time I moved, the staples in my stomach kept pulling at my skin. Oh god where was I.

My eyes went wide and I was frantically searching around the room until they landed on that very last thing I thought I would see Victoria sitting in a little chair in the corning with a smile on her face.

"Well hello Bella, we meet again"

"Where am I, what have you done with my babies!" I screamed.

"Tisk tisk Bella you shouldn't speak to me that way, what would your wolf do if something would happen to his pups because of your not so kind attitude toward me?"

"Please just tell me what you did with them" I plead

"Ahh that is more like it little girl, the frail human that you are, are you going to break down and cry for me Bella"

I just shook my head trying to fight back the tears I knew the smell was working it's way to the surface. The harder I tried to contain the tears the harder it became and eventually my chin started to quiver and I could hold back the sob that ripped through my chest. I was losing it I couldn't stop crying almost couldn't breathe. That's when she walked up the side of my bead shaking her head.

"I knew you would break little girl, but you are making this far to easy for me, you can't even fight? You just give up like the little coward that you are? Your wolf fought, all of the wolves fought, and your Edward fought, but here you sit sobbing like the frail human child that you are, sleep now you pathetic little baby, and when you wake up maybe we can talk" I felt her stick something in my arm and no sooner than I could struggle my body went limp and I feel into darkness.

* * *

I was jolted awake with a slap to the face.

"Wakey wakey my pet, wouldn't want you to sleep another day now would we?"

The shooting pain momentarily distracted my from the aching from the rest of my body. I turned to look at Victoria a sinister gleam in her eyes.

"Are you done with you little break downs girl, I don't know if I can handle another"

"Can you please just tell me if my babies are ok"

"Enough of your damn whining about your little brats, I will tell you just so you will shut up, did you know that even sedated you scream for them in your sleep, it's a shame because the shackels are doing more harm to you at this point than I have been able to."

I looked down and my wrists and ankles were red and turning raw.

"You thrash around in your dreams a lot my little pet, I may have to tighten those more"

"My babies, please just tell me"

"Is that all you can think about? My babies my babies" Victoria yelled in a moking tone.

"Your mutts are fine, I couldn't get Thomas to work fast enough while I was distracting your wolves, I guess that is the price I pay for allowing a human to do the work a vampire should have been doing"

I put it together then, hot hands that I thought were Jakes wrapping around my waist.

"You… you hired a human to kidnap me?"

"Ahh yes my dear do you think I am to stupid to not know that those dogs would have been able to smell me all over that hospital if I or one from my growing army would have been the one to take you? No, no pet I am smarter than they are. Yes I am. I told Thomas when he heard the wolves to make his move. The silver bitch is quick I will give her that, almost got a piece of me that day."

My mouth gaped open, "Leah"

"As if I care for her name, it matters not, they did not sucsseed in getting me and Thomas got you, although I told him to make a play and get your little mutts too, but he wasn't able to complete his task, maybe I should have hired two humans" She said while contelplating her plan.

"You are lucky for that little girl because if I would have gotten them you have had the pleasure of watching me rip them apart piece by tiny piece"

Anger rose up in me and I tried my best to lunge at her, screaming inwardly at the pain from my wrists, ankles and stomach.

"Good we have fight in us today do we. It will make things more interesting little girl"

Walking around to stand closer to me she jabbed me in the lower stomach, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, your babies are safe for now, although I have not decided yet if I want to give up on that venture. It would be so fun to torture you and your mutt with their pain."

Shaking her head continued, "I keep getting off track" she stated.

"I was there the day that you and your mutt mated that first time, I watched the whole scene, I thought I was going to be sick more than once. Lucky for me I was down wind that day, your mutt never even smelled me, although I doubt he would have; all the crap he was spewing out of his mouth while trying to take you." She chuckled darkly "he was concentrating hard that day."

She walked back over to the chair in the corner of the room. "Since then I watched closely closer than I had before, I never really had a plan until that moment, I just kept coming back trying to find you with your mate my plan was to kill you both together. I found out that day that I was wasting my time."

"My mate? Why would you be looking for Jake?"

"Oh no little girl not your mutt your other MATE the one that killed my James" she yelled.

I could see the anger raising up in her she was trying to keep it at bay, trying to sit still in her chair.

"You stupid little girl, I was so looking forward to killing you in front of Edward but, when I saw you that day giving yourself to the mutt like some common whore in a field I knew the last two years were wasted. I knew Edward was out of the picture, but I don't know where he is just yet. Do you, I would still like to find him"

I shook my head, "No I Haven't seen him in two years, he left me, left me in the woods."

"Ah such a pity I wish I could have been there to pick your pieces, so your vampire left you and you run and re-mate with dogs?"

"Edward and I never mated I was never his mate, apparently just his pet as I am to you, he told me he never loved me and they left" I felt a pang in my chest remembering that night.

"Is what you are telling me true?" She said with a sinister cackle "Oh you stupid stupid girl"

I just nodded my head, thinking that if I would appease her she would tell me what I really wanted to know.

"Oh where was I yes, as I said after that day in the field I watched you as closely as I could I would often watch you around that dreadful little town and that place you called work, that is when I noticed that you were with child and my plan took place."

She stood and walked over to me," As I said it really is a shame that Thomas couldn't get those little mutts. The plan has since been revised."

She sat on the edge of the bed, "would you like to know what I have planned for you little girl?"

I shook my head "I might as well it's not like I am going to go any where and I doubt that you are going to let me out of this alive am I correct?"

Nodding her head "yes pet you are correct you certainly are not going to make it out of this alive, but along with the physical pain I am about to bestoe upon you can't wait to see what you think of my plan."

"Well tell me then" I snapped

"You won't be so pushy in a minute pet." She said while tracing the side of my cheek with her finger nail.

"Well you see that day I told Thomas that I was going to run around the hospital and distract the wolves, and as soon as heard the howl, which they always do the he should make his move. I told him to first get you knock you out, stuff you in the back of his car and then get those mutts. As I stated he wasn't quick enough because ontop of kidnapping you he was leaving a note on your bed for your mutt to find?"

I gasped, "What… what did the note say" I couldn't contain the fear and panic that ripped through my body. Jake.

" Oh I don't know something along the lines of you not really wanting those babies and never loving him and wanting to find your Edward"

My gasp of horror interrupted her, "NO! No you didn't put that in a note, you couldn't have done that! He won't believe it, he knows I love them and him, he knows!" I was gasping for breath at this point.

"Oh my dear that is where you are wrong, all wrong, he took the bait hook line and sinker. Sadly I did not get to see his face the second he read the note nor did Thomas because he was busy running with you, I stayed around for a day and watched him. Some temper he has on him, the things he said about his mate, you should be glad you didn't stay in that relationship he could have abused you down the line" she said with fake worry in her voice.

"Jake would never do that, he loves me and I love him, he is going to look for me I just know it"

"Has he found you yet Isabella? Believe me he is not looking for you nor does he plan on looking for you, I wrote a very convincing note if I do say so myself."

"Why why would you hurt him like that? Why didn't you just kill me and get it over with, why run with me, why tell me all of these things" I said while thrashing around in the bed.

"Well I see that you have had to much fun for the day Isabella, honestly you are exhausting when you are acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum, sleep now, we will talk more in the morning"

"NO!" I shouted please don't not yet, just please tell I won't act out I promise.

With a heavy sigh Victoria sat the syringe back down on the table beside the bed and sat stood by at the side of the bed.

"To answer your questions; I hurt him like that because Edward was not there to hurt, he killed my James I am going to get my revenge, my original plan like I said was to take it on you and Edward, but he is not around no longer now is he? So why not hurt the next best thing your mutt, he will get over it eventually I assure you, he is young and verile afterall. All the same reasons apply to why I didn't kill you, but one. I have decided to add another part of my plan. I am going to find Edward and bring him here so he can see what his leaving did to you. Sleeping with our mortal enemy, having his pups. Maybe he will turn on you as well, hate you. Did you know that Edward was tracking me for a while?"

She asked with a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"He was terrible at it, I guess it rings true a lover not a fighter"

"Oh wait!" She yelled not "a lover as you were never mated " she laughted at that.

"As I was saying, I have my own person trying to track down your Edward and we will get him here and see what he thinks of you now."

She walked back over to her chair and sat down, " I ran with you because obviously I could not stay in Washington with you in order for this plan to work, if your wolf would have not tk the bait of my note they could have found a way to track me. So Thomas drove the van to Seattle where he met me the next day and I ran you here and Thomas flew out to meet us."

"Where is here" I gestured around the room.

"Here is far away from Washington, all I am going to tell you is that it took me two days to run you down here. I practically had to drag you along you limp little body is not something I enjoy running at vampire speed with. That is probably why you are so sore?"

"Who is Thomas, is he still alive?"

"Thomas is a young doctor I met in Seattle on one of my many trips to find you, he owes me so that is how I got him to work for me, and yes he is still alive, how do you think I got all of these things and the medicine to keep that hole in your stomach from getting infected. I certainly don't want you to get so I have to nurse you back to health only to kill you at a later date and I most definitely don't want you to die due to infection, I will be the one taking your life my dear."

"How long have you had me here?"

"So full of questions today aren't we little one, I will give you one more." She jestured with her finger we have been her oh let's see. It took two days to get you here, you slept all day the next, you woke up with a nasty attitude the day after that, and then today, so that makes it five days now. If your dog wanted you so bad I'm sure he could have found you by now, or that cop father of yours."

She stood and walked back over to me, "With that my dear I think that story time is over we will talk more in the morning and then the fun will begin, I am growing tired of all this chatter with you. Sleep now pet, you will need your rest.

With that she slipped the needle into my vein and the darkness took me over once again.

* * *

_So there it is, the reason why Bella left...Victoria... she is only going to get worse too. Up next, Jake!_

_Review!_


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: Just wanted to thank everyone for their reviews and support for the story. I love getting alerts, and reviews, makes me want to write more for ya. I have a playlist I just need to figure out how to post the link for it here. Soon! Enjoy!_

_SM owns all even Jake's broken heart._

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Chapter 4

JPOV

This week has been a blur, and a week of emotional hell. It started when Bella woke up the morning that our children were born. We were laughing and joking around when all of a sudden here eyes got huge and I could see panic in them, which in turn made me panic. I yelled at her to tell me if something was wrong, and that's when she told me that her water had broke.

Not even thinking about what I was doing I jumped from the bed and ran to the Rabbit trying to get it as close to the house as I could so I wouldn't have to carry her far and run the risk of jarring her to much. When I raced back into the house Billy was standing in the door to my room and I almost knocked him over trying to get her. When I rushed her outside, I saw Charlie and a wave of relief hit me, I knew that he would be able to get us to the hospital quicker than my Rabbit ever could so I dumped her in his arms and sprinted back in to get my dad.

Once in the house I ran down the hall and he was just sitting there staring into my bedroom with tears gleaming in his eyes. I scooped him up jolting him out of whatever memory he was having slung him over my shoulder like a cave man and took off dragging his chair behind me. I didn't care about anything at that moment but Bella and the babies.

Once in the car and on the way to the hospital Bella laid her head back on the seat and then I could hear Charlie calling her name, I touched her shoulder and when I did her head slumped over to the side, her body was limp. Charlie had the sirens on and he was going as fast as he could, but I couldn't stop yelling to go faster and it took almost everything I had no to rip her out of that damn car and run her to the hospital in wolf form, we would have made it there faster.

I was jumping out of the back of the car before it even stopped not bothering to unbuckle the seatbelt; I just ripped through it and carried Bella bridal style running into the emergency room. I ran in screaming that someone needed to help her and a team of nurses ran up to me with a gurney and took her. One nurse her name was Mia asked me what had happened and how far along she was, after I told her she ran into the room they now had Bella in to see what they were going to do. She came back out and told me that they were going to have to do an emergency c-section on Bella, because her blood pressure was too high and it was making the babies heart rate spike. I tried to rush in the room too her, but she placed both hands on my chest and I almost plowed her into the steel door. Since this was an emergency I was not allowed in the room, and that I would only be in the way which was too great of a risk. I told her that it was fine, but I wasn't stepping one foot away from the door. At the very least I had to be able to hear that they were going to be ok.

After what seemed like hours of loud voices from the doctors and nurses I heard the most beautiful sound in the world, the crying of a baby. Then the doctor stated that baby A was a boy. I was overjoyed with the feeling of love that tore through my body at that point. I stop my pacing and placed my palms and forehead against the cool metal of the door. The doctors started talking again almost in a panicked tone saying they couldn't reach baby B and that the nurse needed to get on Bella's stomach and push down, apparently the second baby was up under her ribs. I smiled at that because I knew that was the one that was kicking me in the head that morning. Then I heard it cry too and I couldn't help but turn around and slump against the wall. When the doctor stated that baby B was a girl I couldn't stop the tears falling from my eyes or the shaking of my shoulders. A boy and a girl, all I could think about was how happy Bella was going to be at the news.

I was brought out of my emotional fit when a hand clapped down on my shoulder and I looked up into the fearful face of Charlie. What is it son? Is Bella ok, the babies, are the babies ok Jake? With a huge sigh I told him that yes they were ok and that I heard the doctor say that one was boy and one was a girl. Charlie's face lit up at that and Billy clapped his hands together like a school girl.

He helped me up from the floor and we took seats right outside the door. As soon as the doctor came out Charlie and I jumped up from our seats and ran to him bombarding him with questions about Bella and the babies. He told us that everything was fine and everything that had happened did so because her blood pressure spiked in the car… He told us that the situation was server that if we had not have gotten Bella to the when we did there was a strong possibility that she could have had a stroke and the babies could have been harmed. Hearing that I turned to Charlie with tears in my eyes and gathered him up in the biggest hug that I could manage; thanking him over and over again for coming to visit us that day. He patted me on the back in a very awkward Charlie kind of way and told me that it was no problem.

Shortly after the nurse came out of the room wheeling the babies together in a bassinet and we all looked in at them sleeping soundly. They were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. The sobs that were escaping us, you would have though Charlie, Billy and I were a bunch of women sitting around watching a Lifetime movie or something. We had to move out of the way so that the other nurses could wheel Bella out of the room, when they moved her out of the room we all let out a collective sigh of relief. Although she looked so pail and frail. We were all afraid to touch her, but I couldn't help not to stroke her hair.

The nurse told us that they needed to get the babies to the nursery so they could monitor them for a few hours and so that they could get them cleaned up, and in the meantime they were taking Bella to the maternity ward so she could recover. Charlie looked at me and told me to go with the babies and that he would stay with Bella until the babies were ready and then we could switch.

As I walked behind Bella and the bassinet to the nursery the fear and joy of the day had almost consumed me. The throbbing of both joy and pain in my chest was sucking the life right out of me. I clinched my fists together to try and get a hold on my emotions when the nurse looked over her shoulder and smiled at me. I knew that I had to get control that I had to do it for the babies and for Bella.

We walked into the nursery and Mia the nurse from before pulled up a seat right beside a couple of bassinets she told me that they were to young for a real bath, but they needed to clean them up so she was going to give them a sponge bath, then they had to do some shots and vitals. I just nodded my head ok and sat back and watched her work. Hearing them cry at the bath both broke my heart and made me smile at the same time, I didn't want them to be upset, but seeing them so mad, made me happy that they were so strong for how tiny they were. They really were little fighters. When the babies were sleeping I got up and told Mia that I was going to check on Bella.

Before I went to visit Bella I walked out the forest behind the hospital stripped out of my clothes to phase so I could tell everyone what was going and on see if there was any news of Victoria. It turns out that they were right between patrol shifts and Leah was the only one phased, she was firing questions at me so fast that I let everything from the morning slip. Next think I know I saw through Leah's mind that she was sprinting toward Forks. She came skidding to a stop in front of me, and phased back even before I could get a word in. As soon as she had her dress on she was asking if she could see them and telling me she was sorry for everything that I went through but that she was so happy that everything was ok. I held my hands up to stop her mini freak out and told her to come in and I would let her see the babies.

When we walked into the nursery all the nurses along with Charlie and Billy were gathered around the babies. I walked over to Billy and took the boy and handed him to Leah, tears welled up in her eyes and she sucked in a breath. I looked at her closely studying her expression; she looked up and told me not to be stupid that he was just so tiny and beautiful. One bullet dodged. My dad just chuckled under his breath which made me want to smack him. It would only get worse because the non imprinted boys had yet to meet my baby girl and if one of them imprinted on her…. I was cut out of my mental rant when Billy and Leah both couldn't contain their laughter at the scowl growing on my face. They knew what I was thinking. The nurse then tried to take the boy away from Leah and scoot us out the nursery, I could see Leah start to shake a little and the anger grow, I loudly cleared my throat at her and looked that the nurse. With a huff Leah handed him back to the nurse and stalked out of the room.

After we were kicked out of the nursery so the babies could sleep I told Charlie I was going to go sit with Bella and I asked Leah if she would call the rest of the pack and tell them what was going on.

As I walked closer to Bella's room I could hear the steady beat of her heart and the noises from the monitors they had her hooked up too. Walking in I looked her over to make sure everything was ok. I then picked up a chair and placed it beside the bed sitting in it I told her how much I loved her and how beautiful the babies were and that I couldn't wait until she woke up, with that I placed my head on Bella's lap and fell asleep.

I woke up several hours later with Bella's nails digging into my arm she was panicking yelling that she couldn't feel her legs any more and the babies were no longer in her belly. I explained everything to her all that had happened that day and told her how long they were going to make her stay because of that. The nurse came in and let me know that she had to change Bella's dressings and check her vitals. I stood up letting Bella know that I was going to check on Charlie, Billy and our children.

When I came back to the room I was pushing the bassinet with the twins and Charlie and Billy were following close behind, Bella's eyes lit up. She looked up at me and asked if I had named them. I was actually shocked that she thought I would do that, I told her that I didn't and then she told us that she had names picked out already. She told me that she wanted to name the girl Sarah after my mother, the look on my fathers face is one I will never forget; the happiness there was overwhelming. I knew Bella wanted our girl to have my moms name if we ever had a girl so I agreed and nodded my head. When she told me that she wanted her middle name to be Alison after the leech I wasn't surprised. Even though she was our enemy I agreed because she had become one of Bella's closest friends and from she had told me almost like a sister to her, until Edward made them leave. The excitement on her face when I told her it was ok was enough for me. She then told me us that she wanted the boy to be named Charles Jacob after her father and me. I thought Charlie was going to pass out by the look on his face and by how quickly he took a seat. I was elated that she wanted to name him after me.

After that the pack arrived and the day pretty much flew by, we were both happy to hear that Emily was pregnant again and the excitement that the kids would all be able to play together some day was a great feeling. I wanted them to have loving people and family surrounding them. I held my breath when Seth and Embry met Ali for the first time I think Bella did too, thankfully neither of them imprinted on her, not that anything was wrong with Embry or Seth, but the thought that my daughters future could be taken from her so quickly put me on edge. I had known my children only hours and I wanted so much for them.

The next day was pretty crazy to say the least Angela came to visit before Bella woke up for the day and I asked her to help me feed the babies so that Bella wouldn't have to jump right into it as soon as she woke. While we were feeding them Bella woke up and Angela told her that her and her boyfriend had broken up. She seemed like she was still a little upset by it, but I knew that Embry would be showing up and I also knew that he thought she was cute the time we saw them on the beach. He couldn't stop talking about her for a couple of weeks. I got a gleam in my eye because what could be better if Embry and Angela could get together. Her best friend and mine, even if he didn't imprint I hadn't on Bella and everything was working out just fine.

I let the girls know that Seth and Embry were there and I needed to find out what was going on down at the rez. I gave her CJ to hold and finish feeding and left the room with smile on my face. I got into the waiting room and Embry and Seth were slouched in the chairs watching some game show on TV. I asked them how things with the pack were both of them telling me not to worry about anything but Bella and the babies, Seth left so he could patrol. I looked at Embry with a dopey look on my face; Embry cocked his eyebrow in response. I told him that I had a surprise for him, after calling me a pansy for talking like a chick he asked what the surprise was and I told him he had to come with me to find out.

I couldn't stop smiling like a fool while walking down to her room; I knew that Embry was getting nervous because he kept shooting glances in my direction. I kept telling him to wait and see. When we got to the room I made sure to block Angela from his view just to build the suspense of the surprise. I took CJ and placed him in the bassinet, I shifted to get Ali from Angela and when I stepped back I asked him if he remembered her. Of course I knew he would, but I could tell he was shocked, Angela was still looking down while he was walking toward her with his hand outstretched, when she looked up it happened. He imprinted on her and I was doing the happy I knew it I knew it dance in my head. I made sure not to take my eyes off of them the entire time because yes I needed to get Embry back for calling me a pansy. Oh what he was going to do when he saw his mouth hanging open almost drooling with his hand caught in mid air. I could see Bella looking at me out of the corner of my eye and I could see the look of excitement in her eyes. I knew she was happy knowing that Angela was going to be happy and that she would finally be able to share this life with a friend of hers that I didn't have the natural instinct to kill.

Embry was smooth as ever stuttering around like a fool after Angela hugged him; it caught him so off guard I almost cracked up at that moment. After a couple of minutes of awkward staring Bella and I noticed Angela looking around the room starting uncomfortable under Embry's gaze. Bella asked Embry and I to go down to the cafeteria to get her something to drink so she could talk to Angela.

We walked out of the room and I stopped him right outside the door. He got a confused look on his face and I told him to just wait. No sooner than the door clicked closed we could hear Angela rush over to Bella's bed and tell her that she thought he was hot and that she had a crush on him since that time at the beach. Embry looked at me his mouth hanging open once again and his eyes wide. I just slapped him on the back and took off down the hall laughing hysterically.

The next day was not as fun especially when Collin and Brady came to visit, they thought that it would be funny to prank me into thinking that both of them had imprinted on Ali. The minute they looked in at her they were grabbing at each other and gasping, I whipped around ready to kill thinking that both of them had imprinted on her, I was fighting with every ounce of control when the little shits busted up laughing. I kicked them out of the room right after that. Bella had a good laugh about it when I talked her about it later.

For the next few days everyone kept visiting; Embry and Angela were joined at the hip. So much so; that she was hanging out down at the rez with him and the girls most of the day. He found relief in that since Victoria was still on the loose and the imprint was new. When Bella was sleeping one night we talked about the imprint in the waiting room and he told me how happy he was that it was her and that he was glad that I cooked up that little plan in my head. He said that he felt better about the imprint because even though Angela still hadn't told him yet she had a crush on him and he felt the same about her, he was happy knowing that Bella was her friend because that meant that Angela must be a nice person.

Finally the day came when Bella was allowed to leave. Charlie was going to help me get her and the baby's home, but there was some kind of accident and he had to go into work. The nurse walked us through how to bathe them and feed them and told us that getting them on a good sleeping schedule from the start would be best. We left Bella in the room while she walked down to the Rabbit with me so she could make sure the carseat bases were installed correctly. The one I did wasn't of course, but the one Bella did was; the nurse put it in to show me how to do it, then took it out to make sure that I could do it right on my own.

Just as we were finishing up Embry and Angela pulled up in his old pickup and I told him that I was going to go up and get Bella and the babies and asked if they wanted to help. We got the babies out of the nursery, Embry was carrying one carseat and Angela the other. As we were following the nurse to the Bella's room she got a page that said she was needed but she told us to go on and get her because all the paper work was done, just that I needed to make sure she was wheeled out of the hospital in a wheel chair, yet another policy.

I went into the room while Angela and Embry headed out to the car to get the babies ready. I walked into the room and didn't see Bella so I went into the bathroom to check. I started to panic and call her name. I rushed back out into her room and noticed a note on her pillow.

With trembling hands I walked over to it and picked it up.

* * *

_Jake,_

_I'm sorry, I can't do this. I don't know how to say the things that I want to say to you without leaving you broken. I love you Jake, but the love I have for you is so different than the love I have for him. I thought that with time our love would grow into the kind of love we had, but it hasn't. I don't want to keep lying to you about how I feel. I don't want to keep pretending that this, that you, this town are enough for me. I have to go I have to find him. I need to feel whole again. I do love you, and because I love you I gave you the only gift that I could. Love them Jake, show them the love I know you are capable of, and show them the love I never deserved._

_Bella_

Fire shot through my veins like nothing I had ever felt before. The anger was instantaneous. I almost couldn't control the urge to phase I could feel my self shaking and it was all that I could do to stop. I gripped the wood of the bathroom door trying to calm myself just enough to get out of the hospital and away from everyone. I crinkled up the note in my fist and ran down the hall and out the front door. I ran to the back of the parking lot where the Rabbit was parked it was close enough to the woods that if Embry couldn't help calm me I could run in and phase.

Embry and Angela were leaning against the side of the car as I made my way to them. I was still shaking breathing in deep ragged breaths fighting back the wolf. I stopped about ten feet from them Embry looked up with concern.

"Jake what's wrong where is Bella?" He asked in his normal tone, when I didn't answer he took a closer look and stepped away from the car and pushed Angela who with wide eyes was starring at my shaking form behind his back. I threw the balled up note at him and he caught it mid air. "Bella is what is wrong, that bitch!"

Embry unfolded the letter and slowly began to read, the more of the letter he read the more I could see his own anger rising in him. He started to shake as well, no where near as bad as myself but enough for him to push himself away from Angela.

I pointed at her, "get them the fuck out of here, get them to the rez right now" I yelled. She took a step toward me and I took one back, I gave Embry a look telling him that I was sorry and in the next instant I was a wolf. Before sprinting the few feet into the forest I heard Angela gasp quickly recovering to ask where Bella was and how the hell I had just turned into a wolf. I guess Bella isn't the only one that is good with weird.

"Guess I'm going to have to tell you sooner than I thought" was all I heard Embry say.

I was running I couldn't stop every single emotion I ever thought possible was filtering through my thoughts. All I kept thinking was I had to get away from here, I had to run. I needed to get as far away from the rez, from Bella as possible. How could she do that to me, to our kids? As soon as I thought of them my legs locked up and I skidded to a halt. My kids, the urge to run was still attacking my muscles my body wanted to escape, but I was different. I had a responsibility now; I was the only one they had. I couldn't let them down. Turning around I took off running back to my children.

Even with my running I still got to the house before Angela and Embry; I was sitting on the front porch with my head in my hands when they arrived. Hearing Embry cut the engine I looked up. Angela got out of the Rabbit not taking her eyes off me. I slowly walked up to her so I wouldn't scare her and hung my head.

I wasn't going to let my children suffer because of Bella's stupid decision about the leech. Even though she was willing to give up on her children our life together, hell her life alone I was not. I had to do my best to take care of them.

I took another hesitant step toward her, she looked up at me and gave me a sad nod handing me CJ's carseat and then did the same with Ali's. As I was walking in the house I heard her tell Embry that Bella couldn't have done this, even though there was a note she knew Bella and she knew that she wouldn't walk out on her children. I controlled the flinch hearing her words, nice she wouldn't walk out on her children, but she could walk out on me.

I made my way into the house with the babies and Billy was there waiting with a huge smile on his face, it slowly faded as Anglea and Embry walked in behind me with no sign of Bella. I walked past him into Rachel and Rebecca's old room. Bella and I painted it a bright yellow color because we didn't know what the babies were going to be. The plan was to add all the other stuff after they were here. I placed the carseats on the floor beside one of the cribs pulling out CJ I changed him as best as I could and then placed him in it. I did the same with Ali; the nurse told us that it would be best if we let them sleep together for a while. I wound up the mobile above the crib turned the light off and walked out of the room.

As I walked into the kitchen I noticed Billy with his head hung low holding the note in his withered hands. I looked over to Angela and Embry. He was pissed and she was just broken looking. I walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a gallon of milk and drank it. I backed up to the counter crossed my arms over my chest and crossed my ankles.

"Angela, I'm sorry about what happened at the hospital earlier. I want you to know that Embry or I would never hurt you." Her head snapped up her mouth in the shape of an O; she turned her head slowly to look at him, "Fuck Jake" he muttered low enough so she couldn't hear.

"You, you're turn into a wolf too?"

He looked up to her with sad eyes, "Yes I phase just like Jake and some of the other guys on the rez do."

Angela shook her head and held up both of her hands, "I just don't get this, how is this even possible, you sit there and tell me that you Jake and a couple of the other guys from La Push just randomly turn into wolves like it is no big deal?"

"Well I was going to go about it a different way then exploding in front of you; I was going to tell you Angela I swear." Embry shot me a look while he was talking to her. It was my turn to look at him with sad eyes. I had never phased out of pure anger since my first time. It was a shock when it happened.

"I don't care that you were going to tell me Embry, I care that it is no big thing. Like this stuff happens every day down here"

"It does Angela we have been phasing for a couple of years now"

Before Angela could speak again Billy stopped all conversation. Embry, Angela I don't think this is how we should go about this since she was introduced to our secret more abruptly than we would have liked. He shot me a look as well. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

I think what we need to do is get the council together and talk about everything that is going on. Things with you and Embry will be explained and Jake and Bella as well. As soon as he said her name I couldn't help but to let a snarl rip through my lips and I gripped the counter top. Once again Embry was shoving Angela behind his back to keep her safe.

Angela moved out from behind him and walked toward me him grabbing her arm in the process.

"You" she said jabbing my bare chest with her pointy fingernail. "What is wrong with you, what ever you think Bella did, she didn't, I know her and I know that she wouldn't walk out on her children and even though I don't know you that well and Bella and I don't talk as much as we once did she loves you Jake. She would constantly talk to me about you once you helped her get over Edward. She wouldn't do this; I just know she wouldn't" she said losing steam and shaking her head.

I shifted to my feet and away from the counter, I towered over her with anger in my eyes, "You" I said pointing at her, causing a growl to erupt from Embry." know nothing about Bella do you understand that, nothing" and with that I was once again out the door.

I phased as soon as I was in the woods. The second my paws touched the ground Seth and Quil were in my head.

_Hey Jake how are the kids and the little woman_, Quil asked.

_Yeah I bet Bella is happy to be home with the kids_

_Shut the fuck up both of you _I snarled at them and with that everything that had happened in the last hour slipped through my mind.

_No fucking way man that is just screwed up she left you and the babies to go find the leech_

_I can't believe it Jake she wouldn't_

_Yes she would Seth and she did, the babies are back at the house with Embry, Angela and dad, no Bella, like she gives a shit about us_.

Not wanting to argue my point anymore I phased back, I was out on the cliffs, pacing back and forth my anger continued to bubble up. I walked over to the rock walk and punched a fist sized whole into it "FUCK" I just wanted to rip my hair out. My heart was breaking for myself and the babies, but the anger was all consuming. I was gripping my hair in my hands; I was so frustrated I needed to calm down.

"How could you do this to us you bitch, you said you loved me, loved us." I screamed out to the ocean. Falling to my knees I couldn't take it, I leaned over and punched the ground rock shattering underneath me. The urge to run was consuming my body again, but I couldn't here I was at seventeen with out the love of my life with two babies and I didn't know a damn thing about how to take care of them. "If I see you or your leech again I might just kill you," I whispered into the wind. I let tears of anger and heartbreak leak down my face looking out at the ocean I couldn't help but curse the moment I met Bella Swan.

Pulling myself up and out of my anger and pity; not wanting to have to deal with Seth and Quil, hell the whole pack probably at this point I made my way back into the woods to get home. I walked into the back yard, phasing back long enough to bark so Embry would bring me a pair of shorts.

Walking back out of the woods with cutoffs on I saw the pack was standing in the back yard. Billy and Angela I noticed were not present. I walked over to a stump that was sitting in the yard and plopped down.

"Well let's here it, let's here the I told you so"

Everyone shook their heads at me, but Sam spoke, "Jake we aren't going to say that we told you so. We are actually just as shocked about this as you are. We could tell that Bella was in love with you, these past two years she's became one of us Jake and she does love you."

I jumped up and stomped up to him, my nose inches from his, "You don't know shit Sam, because if she had even an ounce of love in that cold heart of hers she would be here right now, she would be with me and our kids, not off on a hunt for that damn leech" I yelled while shoving him back. "She doesn't love me and she never fucking did"

I could tell that Sam was trying to hold it together not to phase, but I didn't care, he didn't know what he was talking about. How the tables have turned. Here I am hating Bella while my pack is taking her side; not believing that she could do this to us.

"What do you say Paul, you are the one that hated the leech lover the most"

"I'm not going to deny that I hated her Jake, and even now I'm not her biggest fan, but I could tell that she was serious about you. I mean hell she got all huge with your kids and even moved down here to the rez, and we all saw what happened the day that Bella told Charlie she was pregnant."

Yeah like I could forget that day; I just wanted to punch Paul for bringing it up.

~~0~~

Bella was so worried about telling Charlie that she was pregnant, that she was literally making herself sick over it. She was already almost two months pregnant; we had already been to two of her doctors' appointments when I finally told her that we needed to tell Billy and Charlie the news. She insisted that we tell Billy first and maybe even have Charlie come over to the house to tell him too. We walked into the house from the appointment to find my dad and Charlie sitting on the couch watching a game, I heard Bella let out a little gasp and clench down onto my hand.

"Hey dad, Charlie, Bella and I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure, son" Billy said looking in our direction.

"Ok so I don't really know how to say it so I am just going to spit it out." I said looking over at Bella who at that point was chalk white and almost shaking. I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to me. I saw confusion in Charlie and Billy's eyes. Not wanting to draw this out any further I took a deep breath.

"Bella is pregnant, with twins, she's two months along"

Billy's eyes got wide and a smile split his lips, his eyes darting to me to Bella and then to her stomach. Charlie on the other hand looked like he was going to pop a vein. I could see the red running up his neck and to his ears, finally to flush his entire face. He was clutching his beer bottle so tight I thought he was going to bust it in his hand.

I wasn't really expecting what happened next, Charlie jumped up from his seat on the couch grabbed Bella's other hand and ripped her away from me. I wouldn't believe that Bella could get paler, but she did then the tears started to spill down her face.

Jerking her toward the door I could hear Charlie mutter something about an irresponsible little punk, and my anger started to rise. When he had her out the door and on the front porch he grabbed her by the other arm forcing her to face him and he shook her.

"Bella how the hell could you be so stupid. How could you get yourself into a mess like this, you just got over that damn Cullen kid and now you come here and tell me that you are two months pregnant with Jake's kids? I knew you guys were dating, but I didn't think it was anything this serious."

While he was shaking her and yelling at her I got up from the couch and started walking toward the porch, I felt Billy's hand on my forearm bringing me to a stop, he shook his head telling me to stop, I couldn't do anything but think that he better not hurt her or those babies or I was going to kill him. This was not Charlie this was someone else. I've never heard him talk to Bella, hell anyone that way.

"Dad I love Jake and I've been over Edward for a long time now. Jake and I didn't plan this dad, it's not like we wanted this to happen, but it did and we are ok with it, we were really hoping that you wouldn't be this mad about it. I mean come on dad it's Jake, me and Jake, isn't that what you and Billy always wanted?"

That was not the best way for her to end that sentence because he clenched his hands tighter on her arms and I could almost see the steam shoot out of his ears." I ripped my arm from Billy's hand and made my way out the door to stand next to Bella.

"What I wanted", he roared. "Sure Bella what I wanted was my nineteen year old daughter to get knocked up by some seventeen year old punk that doesn't even have a job to help take care of these babies that you are carrying around"

I couldn't keep standing there letting him treat her like that I loved closer to Bella and pulling her from Charlie's hands and placed her behind me.

"Charlie we get that you are upset, but you know me, you've known me all my life. You know I'm not going to leave Bella and I am going to do everything in my power to take care of her and my children."

Charlie threw his hands up in the air and started pacing back and forth on the porch. When he turned around there was almost a sinister gleam in his eyes. He pointed at Bella who was now looking at him from around my back.

"Fine you want to go and get yourself pregnant, at such a young age; you can get out of my house. I'm calling Renee and you are moving back to Florida with her."

"What" Bella squeaked

"You heard me young lady, I don't want you in my house anymore. I can't believe you did this Bella, that you let him get you pregnant. Didn't you learn anything from your mother? It didn't keep her here did it? Having you?"

My eyes widened and I knew he could see the shock written on my face.

"Don't think I don't know that you did this on purpose boy, I did the same damn thing. I knew Renee wanted to leave Forks, wanted to go off to school and move to a big city, but I couldn't let her go, I wasn't going to, I loved her to damn much to just let her walk away from me. It didn't work for me you see how that turned out; it's not going to work for you either."

"I didn't get her pregnant on purpose Charlie it was an accident, it happened the first time we had sex, and we have been safe every time since." I could feel the heat from Bella's face pressed into my shoulder blade. Yeah a little to much sharing of the information, but I had to make sure that he knew this wasn't a way for me to keep Bella here.

"Oh sure it was an accident" Charlie sneered while making little air quotes. "What you just got caught up in the moment? Give me a break Jake I know what this is all about, you were scared, scared that Cullen was going to come back one day or that Bella was going to go off to school and leave you here alone. I see the way you look at her, the way you have looked at her for years now; it's the same damn way I used to look at Renee. Like she is everything to you, that nothing was going to tear you apart, well let me tell you something" he said while poking my chest. "It didn't work for me and it sure as hell is going to work for you"

"Dad, you…you got Renee pregnant on purpose to keep her here with you; I can't believe you did that." Bella said through sobs.

"Yes I did, and let me tell you it's not something that I'm proud of, unlike Jake here, he's happy as a clam thinking that this is going to work." He stood tall so he could look me in the eye his mustache almost touching my face. "It's not going to happen, she is just like her mother, she will leave you one day and take those kids with her and where will you be? Here broken and not a damn thing you can do about it. You have basically given her all the reason in the world to leave again, way to go jack ass." Charlie yelled in my face. I could tell that his anger was more than just Bella being pregnant; there was anger there toward Renee for leaving him and fear that Bella was going to leave him too.

He stomped down the steps; while walking to the cruiser he yelled over to Bella that she needed to start packing her things and that it wouldn't be long before she left any way, and with that he slammed the door and peeled out of the drive way.

~~0~~

Shaking myself out of the memory, "She did just what Charlie said she was going to do, don't you guys see that, he knew that she was going to do this that is why he was so pissed off that day. He thought that she was going to leave because she felt trapped. But he was wrong she left because she loves the leech more. He was pissed at me because he felt like it was only a matter of time before Bella left him too and she did, the only thing she did right was not take my kids with her."

Realization then dawned on me "FUCK, what am I going to tell Charlie he is going to be so pissed"

"Jake I don't care what theory you have, Bella loves you something had to happen. I don't know what it was, but it was something" Leah said.

"Something like what Leah, has the leech been calling her, do you know something, what did she say to you" I was screaming as I was stalking toward her.

She let out a low warning growl for me to back off, but I wasn't having any of it, "what the fuck do you know Leah, did she tell you that she loved him still and that she was going to leave me."

"What no, Jake you are being ridiculous she never once said anything to me about Cullen, never, it was always Jake this and the babies that, and oh I am so happy, blah blah blah, that shit was annoying. That's why I am telling you that something happened. Maybe she got that depression and panicked or I don't know something, but she loves you, I know it."

I couldn't help but scoff. "This is crazy she's gone! She knew she was going to leave all along and Charlie knew it too he even warned me in a way, that's it, it's over and if she ever steps foot on this rez again she will regret it for the rest of her life. We are not talking about this anymore, besides we have other shit we need to talk about don't we Embry"

I could see Embry out of the corner of my eye, looking seriously pissed off. I didn't care, he has a damn imprint now, and she can't or well won't leave him like Bella up and left us. Let him be pissed for a little while, it's not like he is not going to get his happily ever after with Angela.

"Yeah Jake we do have other things to discuss no thanks to you" He spoke in a clipped voice, I jumped up ran over to him and punched him in the jaw, he just got up laughing wiping the blood away from his already healed lip. "You can hit me all you want Jake, but it doesn't change the fact that you phased like a pup when you found out about Bella; putting your kids and my imprint at risk."

I was seething, and this time when I lunged I landed on him in my wolf form my claws digging holes into his bare chest.

Almost instantly he phased under me; _Jake we know you are hurting man, you just need to get your shit together, normally I would understand with you freaking out and being this angry, but you can't; Bella left and sure it's fucked up, but you can't keep losing it man, there are two kids in there that need someone and if Bella is stupid enough to leave that behind then you need to be the one to take care of them, screw her, they are what's important now._

I jumped off of him and phased back, almost balling up into the fetal position, I couldn't help the sobs that ripped through my body, I felt Embry kneel down beside me and put a hand on my shoulder, "come on Jake Angela said the kids are eating about every two hours and we are getting close to that, you need to go be there for them, we will work this out man. Plus when we get done your ass is going to sit out here and help me tell her this shit about us turning into freaking dogs for the last couple of years"

He stood up and extended his hand toward me, as I stood I noticed that the pack was gone, they'll be back is all he said was we walked toward the house.

We walked in and Angela was sitting on the couch feeding CJ and dad was doing the same with Ali. When she heard our approach she looked up and gasped with wide eyes. That's when we noticed that yes, we were naked. I looked at Angela and she was blushing just like Bella always did she was trying to look away from Embry, but her eyes slowly ran down his body and her eyes got wide when I assumed she saw everything, Embry noticing her eyes stuck in one place quickly grabbed a pillow to shove in front of him. I pushed aside the anger that her blush caused and couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the situation. I raised my chin as I strutted my naked ass back to my bedroom to get Embry and me a pair of shorts.

When I came back out of the room I noticed Embry was still holding onto the poor pillow for dear life Angela was still staring at his nakedness and dad was practically falling out of his chair in silent laughter. Nothing like the humiliation of my best friend to lighten the mood.

When I got close enough to Embry he lunged at me and ripped the shorts out my hand and backed himself into the kitchen to pull them on. He was as red as a tomato, and if I wasn't feeling like complete shit this would have been a great moment to get a couple over on him. He walked back into the room shooting daggers at me while I just walked over to take Ali from my still shaking father. Angela finally snapped out of her Embry naked stupor and continued to feed CJ.

After we fed the babies and put them back down to sleep we took the monitor and went back outside to where the pack was waiting to tell Angela everything. We told her all of our stories that night. Embry told her about when and how he phased and after a little hesitance and I could kill you looks my way he told her all about imprinting, everything. When he got to the part about Leah and Sam Leah surprised everyone by telling Embry that she wanted to tell Angela that part and so she did, and Angela cried for her and her pain.

Then we told her everything about Bella and the Cullen's and finally she got what I had meant earlier about her knowing nothing about Bella. While she was shocked that they were vampires she admitted that she always got a funny feeling about them. She took almost everything in stride.

She told us that while she was little freaked out that Embry and all of his friends could turn into Vampire killing wolves; she thought it was amazing that things like this happened in real life and that she admired us for protecting our people when we really didn't want to be what we were.

She did tell Embry though that she wanted to think about the whole imprinting thing. Not that she didn't like Embry, not that she hadn't had a crush on him for the past couple of years; both of their cheeks flushed at that. That it was so huge that he was her soul mate, she just wanted to think about things, she told us that she had to go back to Seattle because she had to take finals in a couple of days that she was coming back to Forks anyway for summer break and asked if they could talk about everything more then. With a sad nod Embry agreed. I guess imprinting wasn't as easy for everyone.

The next week went by in a blur of Charlie's anger and sadness at Bella leaving the way she did; the babies eating, sleeping and pooping. The first night was a sight. The three of us Charlie, Billy and I thought we had a handle on things; when Angela left she told us that Emily was going to come over and help. With a collective eye roll from the three of us we told her that we were fine and didn't need the help. Forty five minutes later Emily and Sue came and saved our sorry asses.

The following week got better, we got into a routine with the babies and Charlie was coming down every night Billy told him that he and Sue were going to try and petition the council to see if he could just get a house on the rez since he was down every night anyway, and things seemed to be picking up with them as well. Angela finished with her finals and came back to Forks, her and Embry decided to take things slow and date instead of jumping right into imprint love. As for myself I forged on I would get angry every now and then, but when I did instead of totally losing my shit I would walk down First Beach or Embry and I would talk like a couple of chicks, it helped but the pain and anger of Bella leaving was still there. It would always be there in the background.

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_Poor Jake :(_


	6. Chapter 5

_A/N: Just wanted to thank everyone that has been taking the time to review this story. I get so excited when I see a review pop up in my in box. Just wanted to let you know that I have added the Playlist to my profile, although it may take a bit to show up. It's there I promise. Just in case it doesn't show up before you read the chapter I suggest that you listen to the song Jar of Hearts, by Christina Perri while reading._

_As always everything Twilight Saga related belongs to SM_

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Chapter 5

I'm not really sure how long I have been here at this point; weeks maybe. All I know is that there isn't a window in the room that Victoria is keeping me in. Thomas, the doctor/kidnapper, is the one that is taking care of me.

I was shocked the first time he came into the room to check the staples in my stomach from the c-section. I found out later from him that Victoria is paying him to take care of me to make sure that nothing goes wrong with my recovery. I'm positive that this is so she can kill me herself later.

Victoria has only been in this room once since the last time she put me to sleep after letting me ask her all those questions. I can't help but fear that she is back in Forks trying to get to my babies or Jake, or maybe even the pack.

I turned my head at the all-too common noise of the door creaking open.

"Why hello, Isabella, how are we feeling today?"

"I feel fine, for being trapped in this room like a dog." I almost wince when I say it.

The last time that Victoria was in the room she told me she was going to let me out of bed, but not out of the room. I was happy, for a moment, thinking that I might have some freedom. That is, until she put the shackle on my right ankle.

'Wouldn't want you to take out our doctor friend and get away now, would we,' is what she said.

I almost snorted at that, thinking there was no way in hell I was ever going to be able to get past Thomas. He was a lot like Jake; he didn't have quite the muscle mass that Jake did, although he was tall like him and warm just the same.

The room that she was keeping me in was large, too large to be without a window, large enough to fit a now king-size bed, Victoria's chair in the corner... the room even had a closet. Why I would need one of those I will never know... and an attached master bathroom. I was at a loss the first time I saw it. It was huge, and it had a Jacuzzi tub with twin vanities and a steam shower in the corner - you know, one of those fancy ones with about ten shower heads. Of course, the chain was long enough for me to reach anywhere within the master suite.

Thomas walked over to me and lifted up the hem of my shirt; I flinched away from him.

"Now, Bella, you know that I would never do anything to hurt you, why do you act as though I have done any harm to you?"

I scoffed at that, "Are you serious? You took me away from my children only days after I had them, you went along with this plan that Victoria has cooked up, in order to kidnap and eventually kill me, you helped her tell the love of my existence that I never loved him and that I was looking for the person who nearly destroyed me over staying with him and my children, and you say that you have never hurt me?"

I could see the anger and hurt pass over his face, as he said, "You know that I had no choice, Isabella! I have a family I need to protect, what other thing could I do than to go along with it? It's not like I set out to hurt anyone, but my family is more important to me than some girl who purposely got herself mixed up with vampires." He slammed my chart down on the desk, pulled the key from its cord around his waist, and unlocked the door, then slammed it shut as he left.

For the rest of the day, I laid in the room by myself. There was no TV, but, thankfully, Thomas was told that books were allowed. The books I was allowed to read were nothing like the books that I normally read. No, these books were dark, and twisted, much like Victoria was; maybe this is where she got her sick ideas from.

I never asked to have anything different. I was being fed, taken care of, and not being tortured, yet. Although I knew for certain that time would come, I had to fill my mind with something other than my family, my children and my Jake.

The hurt of knowing that Victoria had wrote him a note that was so convincing to him to not even search for me was enough to know that she had broken him. If I wasn't reading those books, my mind was running rampant, trying to think of the things that she put in that letter to Jake, what his reaction was. Was he even safe, were my children safe, how was he acting, how did Charlie and Billy act when they found out the news.

The pack must hate me for hurting Jake.

These things ate away at me until I would have a panic attack, and Thomas would come in and put me to sleep, telling me not to think of such things. How could I, though? How could I not think about the pain that he and everyone else I know must be going through at the thought of my abrupt departure. I didn't even get to give my children one last kiss goodbye.

Even now, reading this book, I was fighting the thoughts back, but they were too much to bear. I placed the book on my chest and just let the worry flow, knowing that once I freaked out I would be put back to sleep; at least I could escape to my dreams. Once, I had nightmares of Edward leaving. Now, I had dreams of Jake and the sun and the beach; our family living together and being happy.

My dreams were my own and I had to find a way to keep them hidden, because I was sure that if Victoria ever found out that I was happy she would find a way to rip it away from me.

I could feel my heart start to pound, the blood began to rush out of my fingertips and into my arms; the more I thought about Jake and my children, the quicker this would happen. The blood pumped so fast in my veins that my head started to spin, it felt like someone had their hands on either side of my head and they were pushing them together.

My breaths were coming in pants and my body was shaking. I smiled, because I knew the screaming would start, and it did. Not soon after Thomas rushed in and stuck a needle in my arm, I found the peace that was Jake.

When I woke up to the smell of food, my stomach growled, and I found myself shifting out of the bed to make my way to the desk. As I was stretching, a cool breeze slid over the back of my neck and I froze.

Victoria was here, she was watching me sleep.

The hairs on my neck stood on end as the breeze continued to slide over my neck in short slight bursts. She was panting - only, in anticipation, I assumed. I couldn't do anything; I was rooted to the floor just waiting for her to make her move. When I felt two cool hands touch either side of my shoulders I jumped, and lunged forward in attempt to escape.

I knew it was pointless, but, to my shock, I was able to get away. I scrambled into the corner and tried to flick on the desk lamp while curling my legs into my body. I finally managed to get the lamp on, and what I saw sent a tremor through my body. My eyes were so wide they were hurting, but I couldn't look away. No, it couldn't be.

"Love, it's me, I'm not here to hurt you," Edward said, while crouching down in front of me and holding his hand out for mine. Slowly, he inched toward me; I couldn't breathe, my eyes were still wide on his face.

How could this be? Victoria said that she was looking for him and that she couldn't find him. Did he know all along that she had me? Was this part of the plan to bring Edward here, to hurt me more? The once sealed hole in my chest began to slowly rip open.

This was her plan; this is how she was going to torture me?

The pain was burning my insides, I was supposed to be mad at him and hate him for what he had done to me. But I couldn't, because he was here, and this was Edward. He wouldn't help her, he once loved me. Didn't he? I was so confused, but I couldn't think.

That is, until his cool hand touched my cheek.

I snapped out of my thoughts and lunged myself at him, with a speed I didn't know that I could possess, and apparently one that Edward wasn't expecting. He was on the floor and I was on top of him, and I couldn't get close enough.

My mind was screaming two things at once: it was telling me to stay away, that he was only going to hurt me, but it was also yelling at me to get closer, to get some kind of contact, to find out if he was really here or if he was an hallucination, a figment of my imagination.

I found myself ripping his shirt out of his tattered slacks and shoving my hands up under his shirt, pressing my hands to the cold stone of his chest. I just needed to touch him, to know that he was real, that he was actually here. I felt his arms wrap around my body and he pulled me closer to him, running his nose up my neck and into my hair. He drew in a long ragged breath, and squeezed me tighter.

_Hold me_ was all I could think. I needed someone to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be ok, and that Victoria wasn't going to hurt me. I flattened myself more to his body and placed my lips to the side of neck.

He was so cold, but his scent was all around me, and I found myself instantly calmed. I continued to breathe him in, calming myself in the process; I could tell that Edward was doing the same. He kept running his hands up and down my back and through my hair.

It was almost ironic, that while we were together we were never in this position, me on top of him, hands in his shirt, my lips pressed against his neck.

"I missed you so much, Bella," he began to murmur into my hair. "I love you so much. I never should have left you, love, I will never leave your side again. I was so wrong; I never thought she would do this."

Anger bubbled up inside me. I placed my hands against his chest and began to push. In an instant, we were sitting upright. I was still straddling Edward, and his hands were still on my back, mine still in his shirt, but I was now looking at his amber eyes, and I just wanted to slap him. I ripped my hands out from under his shirt and did just that.

The pain shot through my hand like lightning. The stunned look on his face was replaced with one of worry, as he grabbed my hand and started to inspect it.

"What was that for Isabella? You know that you can't harm me." His expression was one of disbelief, now.

"That was for leaving me!" I shouted at him, and I was now pushing myself up and away from him. I had to get away; I had to ignore the scent of him that still lingered on my body. I was pacing across the room. "YOU" I pointed at him, "tore my heart out and left it in the woods that day."

The look of agony that crossed his face almost made me flinch. Almost, because, once second of his hurt could never match the pain I felt all those months until Jake made me whole again. The thought of Jake ripped the hole open further. I hunched over, and grabbed myself in an attempt to hold the pain inside of me.

Edward was up, and gripping my body with worry in his eyes. "Bella, what's wrong? Are you hurt, what can I do?"

"Leave!" I shouted. "Just leave me alone, you broke me that day, Edward, you tore every little living thing out of me and it almost killed me; you almost killed me!" I was still hunched over, my chin pressing into my chest. I couldn't look at him. No, I _wouldn't_ look at him. I knew that he must have a look of horror on his face, but I didn't care. Not now. He did this to me; he is the one that hurt me. He can hurt a little, too; just feel an ounce of what I felt all those months.

"I didn't know, Bella, I didn't" he said, barely above a whisper.

My head snapped up. "You didn't know? You _didn't know,_ Edward? Are you serious? How could you not have known? All those months, telling me that you loved me, letting me love you; love your family like they were my own. You knew what you were doing, you knew and you didn't give a damn!" I couldn't contain the anger that was seeping into my words.

"You can't be serious. Alice never told you that I would lay in my bed, for days at a time, crying out in pain because the pain was too much? Never told you that I would sit in that rocking chair every night, all night long, with the window open, waiting for you to come? She didn't tell you that I almost got hypothermia, because I refused to close the window, just in case? Charlie had to screw it shut! She didn't tell you that he and Renee were on the verge of sending me into a mental institution, until Jake came along and saved me?"

His eyes grew wide, and I could see the tears he would never be able to shed glisten in them. He shook his head and bowed it, "No." He said.

"No what?"

"No, she never told me, Bella. Because, when we left, I told her to never look for you again. She never told me, because I haven't seen my family since the day I left you." His voice was almost pained ,but I could also hear the anger that lied within it.

"The family was upset with me that I made them leave you, I told them that I needed time to get over you and they should take the time to get over you as well. I left them that day, I haven't seen them since. I keep in contact with Carlisle, but that is it."

"You mean, they didn't want to leave me? You _made_ them leave me? Why, Edward? Why would you do that to me, to them? You knew they were like family to me, Esme was like a mother to me, a real mother!"

"I wanted to protect you, Bella, you needed to be out of my world, out of this world," he said, while throwing his hands out to the side.

I snorted, "Some good that did. All you managed to do was break my heart, and get me taken away from my family; my _children_, Edward, you took me away from my children!" I shouted into his face.

He went still; I slapped my hands to my mouth with wide eyes. He looked up at me like someone had walked over his grave.

"You- you have children, Bella?"

My hand was still on my mouth, and my head was now shaking back and forth. I couldn't believe I blurted it out while yelling at him. I felt a small pang in my chest at dropping that news on him. But it wasn't the only shocking news I had to tell, so I nodded my head.

"Yes, Edward. Children. I have twins."

"Twins. Bella, you have children... When did this happen? Who did you have children with? Are you married?"

He pulled my left hand forward, and he looked down at my finger noticing there wasn't a ring. His head shot up and his eyes were now black.

"Who is he, Bella, who is the father of your children? Such filth that he couldn't marry you first... I was only gone two years, Bella, how could you?"

Anger flooded through my veins, and I jerked my hand out of his.

"How could I?" I screeched. "How could _you_, how could you leave me in the woods like that? Why did you even take me out there to tell me that? Did you know that she was looking for me, Edward? Is that why you left me out there? You were just going to let her finish me off-"

In an instant, his cold hands were on my forearms, gripping me with painful intensity. "No," he hissed, "I did not know that she was looking for you, how you could even think that, Isabella? I love you!"

"Love isn't crushing someone in the woods, Edward," I sneered back at him.

I saw him flinch, but he quickly regained his statue-like composure. "That was the biggest mistake of my existence, Bella, and one that I will never forget and never stop regretting. I thought I was protecting you, I didn't want you in this world, and I didn't want you to hurt anymore. Now, can you please answer my question?"

"What right do you have to think you deserve an answer, Edward? You lost any right to know anything about me the day you left me."

"I have a right to know who stole your virtue!" He roared.

"No one stole my virtue, Edward I _gave_ it to him, because I love him and he loves me. He was there for me when you weren't, Edward, and as the time went on, he became my sun, my air, everything that you could have been had you not left."

"So you have children with him, then." Edward looked pained when asking that question. "You never said anything to me about children, Isabella."

"I never said anything to you about children because I didn't know that I wanted them. We didn't plan on having children, it just happened; we got caught up, something that never happened between you and me."

He let go of my arms like I was burning him and took a step back. If his eyes could have gotten a darker shade of black, I am sure they would have. "Is that why you found this person so you could punish me by sleeping with him, because I wouldn't chance to harm you? It was about sex, Bella?"

"No! No, it was never just sex between Jake and I, I told you that he helped me get over you, Edward! He was the only one there, he saved me from myself, and I fell in love with him. We love each other, Edward.

"I don't know what to say, because I know I'm not sorry. I thought you were never coming back, I couldn't wait on a dream forever."

"Had I come back, would you have accepted me?"

I didn't know how to answer that question, because part of me always wanted Edward back, even after being with Jake, loving Jake. But, the more sensible part of me wanted him to stay away so I could never chance breaking Jake's heart. I didn't know.

"I don't know, Edward. Honestly, I don't. I love you, I think I always will. If you had come back before Jake started to really help me I am sure that I would have went running back to you, breaking Jake the same way you did me. But after that first year, Edward, things changed with me and Jake. I knew somewhere deep inside that I had feelings for Jake and they just grew, and one day I just knew that I was falling in love with him.

"I couldn't help it- it's Jake, he's so warm, and we are best friends, friends since we were children. Once that first year was over I don't think I would have left him even if you had come back, I couldn't hurt him that much and I couldn't do that to myself either."

"Jake who?"

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat at that question. I knew Edward wasn't going to be happy to hear that I had been down at the rez being taken care of by werewolves, loving a werewolf. I looked down at my socks, "Jacob, Jacob Black."

He sucked in a breath at that. "You had sex with a dog? You actually let a dog touch you and you even had children with one of those vile beasts. What is wrong with you, Isabella!"

"There is nothing wrong with me, Edward!" I snapped. "Don't call Jake a dog either, he has treated me better in the last two years than you have!"

"You know about him, don't you? Know that he turns into a dog, and you do not care? They are dangerous, Isabella, what are you thinking?"

"Jake is not dangerous. He would never hurt me or our children, he loves me, Edward. He loved me enough to put back the pieces that you oh so willingly tore apart. He is always there for me."

He was shaking now, almost like Jake before he was about to phase. "I left so that you would be safe, not so you would run into the arms of my mortal enemy. And a _young_ werewolf, at that! You truly have no sense, Bella, none at all."

"I have sense enough to know when I am not wanted, and you didn't want me. I have sense enough to know that Jake can protect me. He has been protecting me from Victoria since you left, Edward."

"He didn't do a very good job of that, Bella. Otherwise, neither of us would be here right now, would we?"

" I was in the hospital, Edward, he was taking our babies out to the car. Victoria didn't get me, she hired a human to kidnap me while Jake was out of the room; she was creating a diversion, she was running around Forks as a distraction... It wasn't their fault, it wasn't Jake's fault."

I couldn't let him bad-mouth Jake, because all that time he was doing everything in his power to keep me safe.

"So these children of his, you just had them?"

"Yes, I told you that Jake and I didn't get serious until a year after you left, Edward. I had just had them, and was only in the hospital a couple of days. The day they were going to send me home was the day that I was taken. I don't know how long I have been here, maybe a couple of weeks."

This had been an emotional day already, from my self-induced panic-attack this morning, to waking up with Edward being in my room like he always was years ago; it was taking a toll on me. I still hadn't even eaten my dinner, which surely was cold by now.

I walked over to the desk, took the tray, and sat back on the bed. I started to eat, and I couldn't help but notice that Edward was watching me intently.

"What?"

"Nothing, love, I just missed being with you, watching your every move. It seems weird to be able to sit here and watch you now. You don't know how long I have longed to see you again."

"I know, Edward, but this is just something that I don't want to keep talking about. You left, you told me why, I still don't get it, but I think we should just drop it at this point, it's not something I want to keep going over and over again, and I really don't want to fight with you again."

He shook his head and sighed, "whatever you want, Bella."

After eating my dinner, I placed the tray back on the desk and walked over to the chair in the corner that he was sitting in. I wanted to talk to him, to ask him questions about Victoria and where we were; if he knew anything. I placed my hands on his shoulders and slowly began to lean down. I was shocked when his head shot up and his lips captured mine.

He was kissing me with abandon, his hands roaming over my back, pulling down to be closer to him. I was in shock from his actions; I couldn't move. Once Edward figured out that I wasn't kissing him back, he stopped and placed his forehead against mine.

"I'm sorry, love. I don't know what came over me. Your smell, I have missed it, I forgot how strong and intoxicating it was. I thought you were going to kiss me as well."

I was confused. Why the hell would I want to kiss him, had we not just had this fight for God knows how long, about me being in love with Jake and me still being mad for him breaking me in the first place?

I shook my head, because I didn't want to fight with Edward; I was just going to let this one go. I licked my lips to prepare to speak, and I could taste him on me. I closed my eyes with a shudder; I forgot how nice he tasted. Pushing those thoughts aside I spoke in barley a whisper, "No, I wasn't going to kiss you, Edward. I'm not upset, just don't do that again."

I placed my hands back on his shoulders, and leaned back down with my lips as close to his ear as I could get without touching him. I could feel the shiver run over his body.

"I need you to tell me where we are, how Victoria got you here, and what her plans are. Do you know any of that, Edward?" With my lips still close to his ear I could feel him nod yes.

"Tell me, please, we need to figure out how we are going to get out of here alive."

He turned his head into mine and I could feel him take a deep breath, breathing in my scent. "We are in La Paz, in Mexico. I was tracking Victoria, and she knew that. I went all over the world searching for her, Bella. I came close to getting her when we were in South America and she got away. I'm not very good at tracking.

"Once I lost her scent, I went to Brazil and stayed there for a while, I needed to be away from the family, they are in Vermont as far as I know. And Alice and Jasper are in England. I was coming back for you, Bella; I couldn't stay away from you anymore. I made my way up the coast and I caught Victoria's scent again. I followed it all the way to Altata then, but at the edge of the ocean it was just gone. I jumped in and swam here. I could smell her scent as soon as I stepped on the shore. She led me right to you, Bella.

"It was a trap. A trap, all along." I could hear his voice crack, at the end. So she tricked Edward into coming here, but why? What does she want with Edward, aren't I suppose to be the one she is going to kill?

"I should have known. How could it have been so easy to find her after all that time?"

"She wanted you here, Edward, she told me that she was having fun with you the entire time you were tracking her, she knew all along. Did she tell you anything, anything at all?"

Edward looked up at me with pain in his eyes. "Once I got here, she was waiting for me with another vampire, I don't know who he is. She told me that she had you and that she was going to rip you apart if I didn't come with her. There was nothing I could do, Bella, I wasn't going to just leave you here for her to destroy. I have to keep you safe, this is my doing."

"Are they still here?"

"No, the only one that is here now is the human that Victoria has taking care of you, her and the other vampire are not around, or at least I can't sense them."

I jumped back at that, tugging on his arm. "Well, then let's get out of here, Edward, what are you waiting for? Break down the door and run us back home!" I was scrambling, still trying to get him up from the chair, but he wasn't moving. Why wasn't he moving?

"Please" I whispered as I dropped down to my knees in front of him. "Why aren't you getting up, we could get away. I want to go home and see my babies, please, Edward!"

He cupped my face in his palms with a pained look on his face. "I can't, Bella. She told me that she has someone watching Charlie at all times and that there are others watching my family. If she hears anything about us leaving or trying to escape she has given them orders to kill all of them."

"No!" I sobbed, tears now running down my face, We could have been home, we were so close. Then it dawned on me; Charlie! Oh, my God... the Cullens...

"She told me that she was watching, I just thought she was just watching me, waiting for a point when the wolves weren't on guard... Oh my god, Charlie." I continued to sob into my hands. I felt his cold hands wrap around me and lift me up. He walked me over to the bed, holding me in his lap like a child.

"Shhh now, Bella, we will find a way, I promise you nothing is going to happen to Charlie, we will find a way to get through this." His posture became stiff, and his hand stilled in my hair. I felt a low growl come from his chest as the door slowly opened.

"Ahh, I see you have met our newest guest, Isabella" Thomas said as he walked into the room. Edward was clinging to me tighter, as if he was going to take me away. Thomas must have noticed this because he spoke directly to Edward.

"No need to worry, Edward. It is Edward, right?" With a curt nod in conformation, Thomas continued. "I am not here to hurt Bella, I am only here to make sure that she ate her food and that she is still getting along well. It was a close call when she had her children, and Victoria is having me keep a close eye on her to make sure everything is ok." I felt Edward's posture loosen at that.

"If you don't mind. could you please put Bella on the bed so I could check her vitals and make sure her incision is still healing?" Edward looked at me. and I wiped my eyes and nodded my head.

He got up and placed me back on the bed and went to sit in the chair. Thomas walked over to me and checked my blood pressure, my eyes, and asked me if I had had any more attacks since this morning; I just shook my head no. He then began to pull my top up, but stopped at a growl emanating from the other side of the room; Edward was on his feet, clenching his fists together.

"None of that," Thomas spoke with a shaky voice. "Her shirt has to be up and her pants down so I can check the incision, the c-section scar is pretty far down."

"You don't think she can do that herself, she doesn't need you pawing all over her with your less-than-innocent thoughts of her body." Edward's breathing was coming out in pants, I knew it was taking all of his control not to attack Thomas.

Thomas stilled, and was growing paler by the minute. "You can hear what I am thinking." It wasn't a question.

Edward nodded. "Yes, I can read your disgusting mind. Aren't you supposed to be a doctor here to help her, and not take advantage of her?"

Thomas shook his head and looked back and me. I looked at him and pulled my top up a bit and my pants down low enough for him to look at the incision. As he peeled off the gauze I heard Edward gasp for air. I was worried, thinking that I looked disgusting, but when I looked up at him I knew it was something entirely different. He staggered back to the chair gripping the arms; there was a small spot of my blood on the gauze.

I jerked the new bandage out of Thomas's hand and slapped it over my wound all while watching Edward. Thomas was shaking, as I yanked my top down and my pants back up and whispered to Thomas to get out of the room. He nodded his head, grabbed the gauze and ran to the door.

I looked back to Edward, and he was rocking himself back and forth with his head in his hands; he whispered that he was sorry. I got up from the bed and made my way over to him.

"Edward, look at me." He shook his head no. I place my hand under his chin and snapped, "Edward, look at me, right now!"

His eyes were still black, but on top of that, his nostrils were flaring, he was still breathing. I did the only thing I could think to do.

"You have to stop breathing, Edward. Just stop for a while, until it passes."

He looked up at me, and nodded his head, then his breathing ceased.

"I was so close, Bella," he murmured softly. "I thought your smell was strong, before. I forgot how much control, how much control it took to be around you before now. Oh, god, Bella I'm so sorry." He had me in his lap, then, still rocking back and forth.

"Edward, it's ok. I didn't think, you didn't think. Everything is fine, see? I'm fine, nothing happened, and we're ok." I tried to sooth him the best that I could.

"Everything is not ok, Bella. I haven't seen you in two years, I just forgot how intoxicating your blood is to me. How could I have forgotten, I almost lost control, Bella. What would I have done if I would have lost control and killed you?"

"You wouldn't have, Edward, I know you wouldn't have." I said, even unsure as the words came out of my mouth. The look on his face, at that moment, was worse then the day in Biology lab the first time he saw me. To say I was scared would have been an understatement.

His rocking ceased and he looked at me for how long I don't know, and then held me tighter to his cold body. "I don't know what I would do without you, Bella. I don't know what I would do if I took your life."

As his voice floated across my face, I couldn't contain the shivers moving through my body. He quickly stood up and carried me back over to the bed where he tucked every inch of the cover under me. With a sad smile on his face he tucked my hair behind my ears. He then placed a soft kiss to my forehead and walked back over to the chair in the corner and sat down.

"Sleep, Bella, it is late."

I closed my eyes...and drifted off to my dreams - dreams of my Jake.

* * *

_So we have the return of Edward Cullen. So what do you think does the song fit Edward? I couldn't stop listening to it as I wrote this chapter. _

_Review!_


	7. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Don't kill me, but this one is all Edward. Just want to thank everyone that has put this story on alert and favorites, virtual hugs to the people that are leaving reviews, I love it!_**

Chapter 6

**EPOV**

After I laid Bella down in bed, I couldn't help but touch my lips to her skin once more. Two years it had been since her scent had invade my senses. I thought about Bella every second of the day, but it took me by surprise how little I remember what the smell of her blood could do to me; I was powerless when it came to her, and that is why I was here right now.

Sitting back in the chair, watching Bella sleep, I let the thoughts of the last two years without her consume my mind.

The day I left her in the woods was the worst day of my existence. I felt, without a doubt in my heart, that I was doing the best thing for her. After Jasper almost killed her I could not let her continue to grow close to me or my family. The thing that scared me the most was that it wasn't just Jasper's bloodlust that sent him in such a frenzy that day; it was my entire family's as well.

While we could control the burn in our throats, it was the burn absorbed by Jasper that was seven fold. There was no way he could control it, and who could really blame him. I was angry with him, at first, but hearing his frantic thoughts in the woods, I knew that it wasn't entirely his fault.

I took Bella home that night, knowing that it was going to be my last night with her. I was distraught with pain and grief, I didn't want to leave her, but I had to or she was going to die; one of us was going to slip, or there would be other nomads, like James and Victoria, that would come along the way and take her from me. I couldn't let that happen, so I made my mind up on the way to her house that this was it between us, it was over.

I dropped her off, and tried my hardest not to kiss her goodbye, but, once again, I couldn't fight the power that she had over me. A frail human girl could make me do whatever her heart desired in the blink of an eye.

By the time I got back to the house that night everything was packed up and ready for us all to go. Alice knew my decision, and while I was gone they got to work covering all the furniture, packing bags and all our cars. They knew it was time, that there was no other way... but it didn't mean that they weren't angry or disappointed, to say the least. Jasper's head hung low the entire time I told them what I had to do. Esme sobbed in the corner, knowing that I was going to break Bella's heart; Carlisle was comforting her. I could see the anger shooting from Emmett, and I knew that he would be in the woods later, taking his anger out on the trees.

What shocked me the most was Rosalie's reaction. She walked right up to me and punched me in the face. As I lay on the floor, her standing over me, she told me that she had told me so, that she knew something like this was going to happen, and that she was disgusted with the way I was going to break Bella. I fought with her, argued that it was the only way that Bella would ever let us leave, but she just shook her head and rolled her eyes, grabbed Emmett by the arm, and stomped out of the house.

That night, I had my own packing to do. Bella had left her sweater downstairs when she left, I should have thrown it away. Instead, I took it down the stairs and put it in the Volvo. It was the only thing I would have left of her. I wanted the smell of her to permeate my car. I wanted it to soak into the leather and the vents so that I would be able to smell her while driving away. It was the only way I knew that it would work; I couldn't quit her cold turkey so, like an addict, I didn't throw it away.

The next day, the family stayed home from school to wrap up any loose ends. Carlisle had to go to the hospital with a made-up story about his moving to a bigger hospital in California. Esme had loose ends to tie up with a Charity in Port Angeles, the board of which she was a part of. Emmett and Rose stayed in the garage all day, grumbling to each other about how big of an idiot _I _was. As for Alice and Jasper, they left, in the early hours of the morning. Jasper couldn't take the despair that was seeping from everyone, and Alice just couldn't stand to see Jasper in so much pain. They told us that they had plans to move to England for a while and for the family not to worry because they would be back.

While Bella was at school I took all the photos and gifts that she kept at my house and hers and hid them in a floorboard beneath the bed in her room. I planned on taking myself completely out of her life, but in no way could I take her possessions from her. If she found them somewhere along the line I would hope that they would not take a negative toll on her. I am embarrassed to think about what I did next. I lay down in Bella's bed and wrapped myself in her blankets.

I didn't go and see her last night; I couldn't. The sight of her sleeping would have worn away my resolve. I just had to have her scent on me. Like a wild animal, I wrapped myself tighter and tighter in her blankets, rolling around; I was stealing her scent, I couldn't get enough of it. I grabbed her pillowcase and replaced it with a different one. I was pathetic. I was going to break the love of my life and here I was rolling around in her bed stealing her pillowcase so I could be selfish and keep her with me.

I could hear the rumble of her truck making its way down the road; I quickly made her bed and darted out the window. I met her as soon as she opened the door to the truck; a look of worry flashed across her face.

I pushed the memories forward faster; I couldn't think of the way that I shattered her, telling her that we were leaving and not taking her with us. She put up a fight, until I told her that I didn't love her, that I never did. When the tears pricked at her eyes, in that moment I wanted to snatch her up and just run away with her, lock us in a hidden house somewhere and never been seen again. But I couldn't do that to her, she was human she needed to have a life. One without me in it, one that wouldn't only bring danger to the forefront.

So as she stood there, tears streaking down her face, I ran. I skidded to a halt, when I heard her yell my name over and over again, but I didn't turn back. I smashed my hand through the trunk of a huge hemlock... every cell of my being was fighting with me to go back to her. With what felt like the weight of the world I took off at a dead run, knowing I couldn't stop again. I didn't look back.

I ran, for what seemed like days. I ended up on the other side of the country, and that is when I remembered the Volvo. Just as I was turning around to make my way back, I felt a vibration in my pocket. It was Alice calling to tell me that they had my car shipped to the house in Vermont that Esme and Carlisle had bought; it was already there waiting for me. I ran to the house, ripped open the garage door, and locked myself inside the car.

I sat there for a week, stealing her scent from the stolen pillowcase and the sweater that was left behind. Esme and Carlisle both tried to get me to leave it behind, telling me that I was only making things harder on myself. Esme of course was worried because I hadn't hunted since I left Bella that day in the woods. Vampires can't starve, but the less we eat the weaker we get, and the stronger the bloodlust grows. I didn't feel anything, not even the ever-present burn in the back of my throat; maybe it was because all I could smell was Bella. After the first day of sitting in the car, smelling the man who had loaded it up onto the truck, no doubt, and the leather of the seats, everything disappeared but Bella's scent.

At the end of the week I was snapped out of my trace with a slight tapping on the window. It was Alice; I sighed, of course it would be her. She pulled on the handle noticing the door was locked, she told me that if I didn't come out she was coming in, and if she did her scent would mar Bella's. I was out of the car in an instant, pinning Alice against Emmett's Jeep. When she didn't move I broke down, I fell to my knees and buried my head in her stomach; I didn't know what to do. I asked Alice to look for Bella, to just let me see her once, and so she did.

The sight of Bella instantly warmed my heart, and broke it all at the same time. She was sitting in my old chair in the cafeteria, eyes puffy, hair a mess. It was all I could take. I told Alice to never look for Bella again. I couldn't stand to see her that way, and even though I knew that Alice was going back to England I didn't want a chance of her slipping if I talked to her again, or her running back to Bella in a moment of weakness. With a stern glare she relented and agreed that it was probably for the best.

Alice got me to hunt that night, and when we were out I told her my plans of tracking and killing Victoria. Even though she hadn't made any threats against Bella after James's death I knew we would all be better off if she were dead. A vampire just doesn't lose their mate and walk away like nothing happened. So I went back to the house that night, told Esme and Carlisle of my plans, and I was off again.

For the next two years I tried to track Victoria. I started in Arizona, because that was the last I saw of her, from there I traveled up the West Coast and through Canada and back down the East Coast; I caught her scent in Louisiana, and followed her down the Amazon. After that, I lost her scent and, for a while, I traveled like a nomad myself. I wound up in Brazil and that is where I caught her scent once again.

That is also how I wound up here. I had finally convinced myself that I could not live without Bella; there was no way around it. I took off and, as I was running, I caught her scent. It was fresh, like she had only been there hours before... I should have known then that something was wrong, but the scent of her shot through me and all I could think of was the threat that she was to Bella. I ran until I lost her scent at the ocean; I then swam after her. As I was stepping out of the water I caught it again, yet another sign I should have picked up on.

I followed the scent to this mansion just outside of the city; the house was in the mountains surrounded by an abundance of trees. Just as I stepped onto the property Victoria stepped out of the forest. I crouched down, eyes burning, ready to kill her; she was so close. I stopped the instant I caught her scent. A scent that I hadn't smelled in two years; it was faint, but it was there. When Victoria noticed, a sinister smile spread across her face and she almost clapped like a child waiting for their favorite toy.

"So, you can smell her I see. It took me a lot of work to get her here, Edward, and you as well." I was about to lunge and rip her throat out, when the scene of her running with Bella flashed through her mind. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Eddie," She smiled.

"I want you to meet someone." She turned her head to the side and a young male stepped out of the trees behind her. "This is Riley. He has many talents, one of them was helping me find you, and the other I am sure you will learn about later." I tried to read her mind, but I was only getting flashes of James and the hatred that was rolling off of her. "Tsk tsk, Eddie, you need to be patient. I promise you will learn of it later. Now, how about you stop dipping into my head and stand up so we can have a chat about your little pet in there."

I nodded, and walked over to where she was standing; not to close, because I didn't want her to think I was going to attack, and not far enough away that I couldn't break through the back door and find Bella if need be.

"This is how it is going to work, Eddie," she said. "I have been looking for you for sometime now, and now that you are here you are going to stay here with her," My dead heart would have swelled at the thought of staying with Bella; of being near her. "But, if you so much as _think_ of taking her from me I will rip her apart piece by little human piece, do you got that?"

A growl escaped my lips as a flash of the very thought shot into my mind. Victoria was laughing now. "This is going to be such a fun game. Still sensitive as ever about the human, are we, Eddie, and it makes it even better that I can just think of the ways I am going to have fun with her and you can see them-" I got in her face, then. I was aching to kill her, to rip her apart the way we did James.

She wrapped her hands around my throat, and looked me dead in the eyes, then she thought of Charlie, of the vampire that she had watching him, the group that she had watching my family in Vermont, and what would happen to all of them if we tried to get away. My shoulders slumped in fear and defeat and another smile made its way across her lips.

"That's what I thought, hero. Riley, take him to the girl." With that, I started to follow behind him and into the house, the closer I got the more I could smell her scent; my body was almost electrified by the scent of her. The burn in the back of my throat returned, it had been too long since I had smelled her blood, too long since I could see her pale skin and her long brown hair.

As I was walking in, Victoria yelled behind me, "Riley and I have business to attend to. I mean it Edward, if you so much as think of running with her I will kill them all, and then he will track you again and we will kill you together." I could see the smirk on her face when she said that. As I stepped in the house I could hear a heartbeat; I was running now. I flashed around a wall, and there was man standing there, with wide eyes and his mouth gaped open at the sight of me. One emotion alone flickered across his face:

_Fear._

He held his hands up and began to back away from me. I couldn't read anything from him but him thinking I was there to kill him, and thoughts of his family in Seattle. I quickly took a step back and Riley placed a hand on my shoulder; he led me down a long hallway, to where Bella was. I could smell only her scent now and nothing else. He stopped at the last door on the hall and waved his hand in front of it.

"Well, go. She's in there and she is sleeping now, I don't know when she will wake. Thomas had to give her a sedative, she was acting up earlier today."

I took a deep breath, wondering if I really could contain the thirst within me, my throat was on fire. Her scent was almost too much for me; it was enveloping all of my senses so much so that I didn't feel Victoria's hand slap down onto my shoulder. I was snapped out of my thirst when she shook me.

"You had better get control of yourself, Eddie, or I'm not going to let you in there. I won't let you hurt her, that job is all mine. If you can't then we will kill you right now!"

I narrowed my eyes into slits, mad at myself because I was letting the bloodlust nearly consume me. I was pissed, because Victoria was thinking how funny it was that I had almost lost control, and _she_ was pissed too, I could tell, because she had slipped in telling me of her plans for Bella; my growl snapped her out of her thoughts, before I could get a real glimpse at any of them.

"Can I trust you here with her Eddie or am I going to come back to a crazed vampire and two less humans in my house?"

I shrugged her hand off and pushed open the door. I was met with a wall of Bella almost stumbling back. I took a deep breath, felt the burn and relished it. I had to change my thinking, I had to remember that this was a scent that I had thought of for the last two years, one that I feared I would never get to experience again.

Once I stepped in the room and closed the door behind me I could hear Victoria walk away, I could hear her and Riley take off running and I could hear one more warning from her about killing Bella or trying to run. I pushed that all aside as I surveyed the room. This was clearly the master a very large room. I could see the attached bathroom and the desk and a chair in the corner. The room was black, they must have covered all the windows and doors in the room. Making it impossible for Bella to even attempt to slip away when Victoria wasn't around.

I was slowly scanning the room when I heard the rustling of fabric and a small sigh escape Bella; I was on the side of the bed in a flash. A small smile was making its way onto her face and I couldn't help but pray that she was thinking about me; could she - especially after the way I left her - could she still love me, would she? I kneeled down on the side of the bed, my hand hovering over her face and down the side of her body.

She had changed. That was obvious to me right away.

This wasn't the Bella that I had left in the woods. She was two years older now, more a woman than when I left her. She was laying on her side in a tank top and I could see the swell of her breasts. They were bigger. I quickly removed my eyes from her chest, chiding myself for taking advantage of the situation. So much of her skin was exposed. My hand continued to hover its way down her body, down the dip of her mid-section and up the curve of her hip. I noticed that her hair was the same color, but longer, she had not cut it. She was more beautiful, if it was at all possible.

I brought my chin down to rest off the bed right in front of her face, and she let out another sigh, the warmth from her breath flowed over my face and flooded my senses so much that I gasped in surprise: she still smelled the same, but more so, at the same time, there was a more earthy scent to her, though the strawberry scent that I loved so much was still there and stronger than ever. I continued to let her warm breath fan over my face, soaking in every minute of it. She began to shift from her side and onto her back so I stood, I didn't want to wake her. She was murmuring something I could not decipher but I could tell that it was a good something because the smile grew wider, she was almost laughing.

Not wanting to wake her I made my way over to the chair in the corner, put my elbows on my knees and stared at her intently. How I loved to watch her sleep. I remembered the nights I would crawl in her bedroom window before she even knew that I was doing it. I loved those times the best, she didn't know I was there and she wasn't expecting me; nothing but pure Bella. When I finally told her that I had been sneaking into her room to watch her sleep she would stay awake and wait for me, and when I would get there she would cling to me. Not that I didn't love that, but before all of that I would sit and watch her every move, knowing that she wasn't subconsciously thinking of me. I had no influence on her dreams and the first night that she said my name I almost ran to Canada out of pure joy. I was brought out of my thoughts at the sound of footsteps making their way down the hall.

I gripped the chair, wondering if it was Victoria coming to take her away from me. The thought was quickly squashed when I heard _his_ heartbeat. The man from the kitchen. He slowly opened the door and the light from the hall flooded the room just enough for him to walk over to the desk and place the tray on it.

"She needs to eat when she wakes up, she didn't eat her breakfast this morning," he said and quickly fled the room, latching the door quietly behind him. His thoughts were consumed by the fear of me ripping his throat out and killing him.

It wasn't long after the man left that Bella once again began to stir. Every movement that she made sent a wave of her smell toward me. She shifted while throwing the covers off. When her feet hit the cold tile floor I was up on my feet, watching her intently. She was awake, she was breathing, and I couldn't see a spot on her that was harmed. Bella lifted her hands above her head, locking her fingers together, and began to stretch. At the sight of the skin between her shirt and her pants I was behind her in a flash. I didn't even know I went to her, she was drawing me in.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, I was nearly panting with every ragged breath I took and even more forceful ones were following. I could see the goosebumps start on her skin and the tiny hairs on her neck stand on end. I had to touch her; I had to feel the heat of her body to know that she was okay. I had to let her know that it was me and that I was here to protect her from harm, that I was here with her.

Slowly, I reached my arms out and placed my hands on her shoulders. She flinched, and then lunged forward and scrambled onto the floor. I couldn't stop her, and I knew she was scared. She had to calm down, it sounded like her heart was going to shoot out of her chest. I could see her scrambling for the desk lamp trying to see in the darkness who it was. Her eyes were wide and full of fear.

I crouched down as soon as she got the light on, held my hand out to let her know that I wasn't going to hurt her, that I wasn't who she thought I was. Her position didn't change, she was huddled up in the corner trying her best to protect herself.

"Love, it's me, I'm not here to hurt you," I said while still crouching down in front of her holding my hand out. Still moving slowly, I inched forward, her eyes were still wide and she was panting. I stopped, not wanting to push her too far too fast. What I would give to be able to just read her thoughts right now. I needed to know what she was thinking, if anything had been done to her, if she truly was okay. I let her sit in the corner for a couple of minutes trying to let her calm down, the flashes of emotions coming and going so quickly in her eyes. I wanted to help her. I reached out and rubbed my finger tips to her cheek.

I must have been too distracted by the butter soft feel of her skin because I was taken off guard enough for her to fling herself onto me and rip my shirt out of my pants. I was shocked, her warm little hands were making their way up my shirt and pressing into my chest. Bella had never touched me like this before, we had never been in this situation before, and now she was straddling me with her hands in my shirt. I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my hands around her back and pulling her into me, I ran my nose along her neck and into her hair.

This was where I could live forever, with Bella wrapped in my arms, my nose pressed to the skin of her neck and in her hair. I couldn't stop breathing her in and squeezing her to me, I was never letting her go again; nothing was going to separate us ever again. She flattened herself to me more, then and pressed her lips to the skin of my neck; I was embarrassed that I was getting excited by this, but I didn't care at the same time, all I could continue to do was hold her and breathe her in. Bella, my Bella. I couldn't stop my hands from roaming up and down her back, my finger tips barely touching the exposed skin between her shirt and pants. I had to stop, I had to move them, so I started to stroke her hair to distract myself.

"I missed you so much, Bella." I couldn't stop the words from coming. "I love you so much. I never should have left you, love, I will never leave your side again. I was so wrong; I never thought she would do this..."

Bella's body stiffened, and her heartbeat picked up pace, then she was pushing against my chest so I sat us up. I could see the anger in her eyes as she pulled her hands from under my shirt and stunned me by slapping my face. As soon as her hand hit my face I saw pain filter through her eyes and the tight line on her lips dropped as she flinched. I grabbed her hand, turning it over in mine, feeling the bones and making sure she didn't break anything.

I was still in shock when I asked her why she hit me because she knew she couldn't hurt me.

"That was for leaving me!" She shouted as she was pushing herself from my lap. She was pacing back and forth when she stopped and pointed at me. "YOU" she screamed while pointing at my chest "tore my heart out and left it in the woods." I sucked in a breath as her words cut through me like a steel blade.

In the next moment Bella was bent over holding herself together and I was next to her grabbing her because I thought she was falling.

"Bella what's wrong, are you hurt, what can I do?" I asked barely able to contain the anger at myself for hurting her the way that I did. She yelled at me to leave, and then said that I had almost killed her that day when I left her.

"I didn't know, Bella, I didn't" I whispered into her ear. I had to get her to understand that this isn't what I wanted for her and she needed to know that it was never my intention to break her heart, I truly thought that she would move on.

This was a Bella that I had never seen before, she was once again in my face yelling at me that it was impossible that I didn't know it would hurt her so bad because of my constant profession of my feelings for her. The anger that was swirling in those chocolate eyes was almost worse than the pain that I had seen in them earlier. She was so angry and hurt and I couldn't believe that I had done this to her.

"You can't be serious, Alice never told you that I would lay in my bed for days at a time crying out in pain because the pain was too much, never told you that I would sit in that rocking chair every night all night long with the window open waiting for you to come back. She didn't tell you that I almost got hypothermia because I refused to close the window just in case? Charlie had to screw it shut! She didn't tell you that he and Renee were on the verge of sending me to a mental institution, until Jake came along and saved me?"

If my heart would have been beating, it surely would have stopped at hearing the pain that she went through, but I couldn't help the jealousy that grew within me when she said that a boy named Jake saved her. I was supposed to be there for her always. How could I have done this to her and let someone else comfort her as well. I had to make this right.

I told her that I told Alice not to watch out for her anymore and that only added to her agitation, but when I told her that I forced my family away I could almost feel the pain and anger rolling off of her.

All I wanted to do was protect her and get her away from my family and this world that I had drug her into. So I told her my intentions of keeping her away.

The anger she felt then met its peak, because before Bella knew what she was saying she was revealing to me that she had children and a family, and I was the reason that she was being kept from them. I went still, at that: Bella had children. _My Bella_ was a _mother_. I almost fell to my knees, the emotions that were racing through my body almost took me off guard. There was happiness, of course, because Bella did move on and have children, after all, something that I wished that she would do after all this time - move on, stay human, live her life. Then, of course, there was anger, and jealousy, because she moved on and had children and because those were things that _I_ could never give her, something that _we_ never could have had together. Then, finally, there was fury, because _someone else_ had touched my Bella, she was mine, and someone else had touched every part of her.

"You-you have children, Bella?" I stuttered out while staring into her eyes. Her hand was over her mouth and she was shaking her head.

Twins, she told me, twins. A picture of chestnut-haired children running around Bella's legs flashed through my head. I couldn't help but ask who she had her children with and if she was married. I pulled her left hand into mine and noticed that there wasn't a ring or even an indent where one had once been.

Raw, unemtional fury was the next emotion I felt. She wasn't even married, and this trash of a person had her having children at nineteen, with no possible intention of making her an honest woman. How dare he!

"Who is he, Bella, who is the father of your children, such filth that he couldn't marry you first, I was only gone two years, Bella, how could you!" I ground out, gripping her hand tighter.

She ripped her hand out of mine, and screeched at me asking me how I could have left her in the woods, why I took her out there, and if I knew that Victoria was looking for her. When she asked me if I left her out there so Victoria could get to her, my hands shot out and grabbed her arms telling her that I didn't know Victoria was looking for her because Alice had never said anything about her.

I told her once again that I loved her and she countered that love wasn't crushing someone and leaving them in the woods. I couldn't imagine that my actions that day would lead to all of this. Bella being so hurt and torn, Bella being unmarried and having children. Her near hatred for me in this moment.

I told her that it was the biggest mistake that I had ever made and it was nothing, not even killing all of those people for all of those years, nothing was as bad as what I had done to her, but as it seemed in this moment nothing was ever going to fix the way that she was feeling about me. Rage bubbled up inside of me again, and I had to know just who this person was that was making her so happy in absence, to know if he really was someone that was worthy of her.

I felt like we were going in circles me asking her about this person and her telling me that I had no right to know, me yelling at her about her choices. I knew I didn't have a right to know anything about her or this person that she was with but the vampire in me needed to know.

When she told me that she actually slept with him because she loved him I almost broke, he was there for her and I wasn't, he saved her and I didn't, he loved her that way and I couldn't.

I couldn't help but ask her why she had children with him because she had never once said anything to me or my family about having children. I was often met with the question of if children were going to be an issue mostly from Rosalie. I never really though that hard about it because Bella had never once said anything.

She then told me that the children weren't planned and then and there in my mind I came to the conclusion that when we got out of here I was going to kill this boy for doing this to her, no matter how much she said that she had wanted it to happen. Then it hit me that maybe she had sex with him in hopes that one day I would find out about it, and it would crush me, like I had apparently crushed her.

I was shocked as soon as the words came out of my mouth because I knew Bella and she would never do that, but the rage that was now pumping through my veins was making me crazy with hate for whoever this person was.

Then she said his name again and I was relieved to hear that it wasn't anyone that I knew from Forks; whoever this Jake was, at least it wasn't Mike Newton. Anyone but him. My heart broke once again when she told me that she loved this Jake and that she fell in love with him because he was there for her and that she couldn't wait on the dream of being with me again forever.

Those were words that she never should have said because the vampire in me took notice and I wondered if she really loved this boy as much as she was trying to make out, or did she love him because he was there for her when I wasn't. If I was there then maybe her love for me would come back and grow stronger than it had ever been, stronger than her love for the boy named Jake.

I asked her if she would have taken me back if I would have come home to her, because that had been the plan, I was coming back to her; I wanted to know how much hope there would have been. I soared when she told me that she still loved me, that she always would, but then in the next moment it shattered when she told me that if I had only come back to her sooner there may have been a chance. She then told me about her being friends with Jake since she was a child and a memory flashed through my head.

"Jake who?" I asked almost one hundred percent sure of her answer. Jacob Black; I already knew it was him. He was the one I had seen coming to her house with the chief of the Quileute reservation the day I asked her to meet my family. He was the same one that came to the prom and talked to her.

My fear and hatred grew as she prepared herself to tell me just who she was talking about. I thought I had prepared myself, but when his name rolled off her tongue with such ease, and a look of happiness quickly made it across her face at just saying his name, I lost it.

"You had sex with a dog! You actually let a dog touch you and even had children with one of those vile beasts, what is wrong with you, Isabella?" I roared, the fury rising again, esclating throughout the room. I couldn't believe that she let him touch her, he was nothing, but at the same time he was everything, everything i didn't want for my Bella. My mortal enemy had stolen my reason for existence's heart, slept with her, and she bore his children.

She yelled at me that there was nothing wrong with her and not to call him a dog, I snorted to myself at that he _was_ a damn dog. Then it dawned on me, she knew, she knew what he was and still she kept him company, slept with him and loved him.

"You know about him, don't you? Know that he turns into a dog, and you do not care? They are dangerous, Isabella, what are you thinking!" I couldn't believe this was happening, didn't she realize the danger that she was in, the danger that he put her in every single day. The danger she was in when he slept with her, what if he lost it, Bella would have been killed.

"Jake is not dangerous, he would never hurt me or our children, he loves me, Edward. He loved me enough to put back the pieces that you oh so willingly tore apart. He is always there for me!" I couldn't control the anger I felt, I noticed that my body was shaking. I had never been this angry before, not even while fighting James in the ballet studio, nothing had ever made me this close to losing control from anger alone.

She told me that he was protecting her, and I couldn't help but point out that if he were doing such a great job at that that neither of us would be trapped in a house in Mexico by one of the craziest vampires that I had come across.

She told me that Victoria had the human in the kitchen, Thomas, take her while Victoria herself distracted the pack of wolves. That wasn't a surprise, Victoria herself had trapped me into coming here. Getting away from her was going to be harder than I thought.

"So these children of yours, you just had them?" I couldn't help but ask, pulling myself back into the words that she had just said to me. I saw the sadness in her eyes when she told me that she had just had her children and that due to being sedated constantly by Thomas she didn't really know how long she had been here.

I could feel myself calming at the hurt that I saw in her. I knew that she had already fallen in love with her children and if she would have been with them then she would have been so happy. It made me sad to think of her longing and even the loss of a few precious moments with her children let alone possibly weeks. I couldn't stop staring at her. She was so different. More confident, angrier, she had grown up while I had been away.

She asked me what I was looking at and I couldn't help but blurt out that I missed watching her and that I haven't stopped longing to see her. Once again she stood to her statement that she was hurt and didn't really understand why I left and that she didn't want to talk about it anymore. Seeing her energy draining I shook my head and agreed. The day had been a long and emotional one for the both of us already.

I sat in the chair in the corner with my head down acting like I was reading one of the few books that Victoria had left in the room. In reality though I couldn't help but watch Bella, I couldn't force my gaze from her even for a moment.

She stood, placing her tray on the desk, and walked over to me, her heartbeat steadily increasing with every step closer to me. She then placed her hands on either side of my shoulders and I melted to her touch. I could tell that she was leaning toward me and her scent and the warmth of her hands drew me in. When she got close enough I lifted my head and pressed my lips to hers and the scent of her was so much more, I couldn't stop myself. I began kissing her, I couldn't get enough of her warmth and so I began running my hands down her back and I couldn't help but to pull her forward. I needed to feel the heat from her body. While putting pressure on her back to pull her toward me I realized that she wasn't moving, she wasn't kissing me back, her body was stiff.

Embarrassed by my actions, I kept my eyes closed; I couldn't look at her, not now. I leaned my forehead to hers, whispering to her that I was sorry and her scent had overtaken me, so much that I forgot how strong it really was to me. I then told her that I thought she was going to kiss me.

She shook her head and then licked her lips again, and a shudder ran through her body at my taste on her lips; it was almost my second undoing. She told me that she wasn't going to kiss me and that I shouldn't do that again. From the look on Bella's face, I knew that wouldn't be a problem.

She leaned again, placed her hands back on my shoulders leaned over and I could feel her breath brush across my neck and into my ear, I couldn't prevent the shiver that ran through me. To be this close to her once again was testing every limit that I had.

"I need you to tell me where we are, how Victoria got you here, and what her plans are, do you know any of that, Edward?"

I told her everything after that, every single detail that I could: where we were, how I got here, the reason that I came and when she begged me to break us out of there I told her of the threats that Victoria made against my family and hers. I even told her that Victoria had been keeping an eye on Charlie.

When she began to sob I wrapped her in my embrace and walked her over to the bed holding her frail body and clutching her close to me like a child. As I went to lay her down, I promised her that I would do everything I could to find a way out of here and that Charlie was going to be safe.

That's when I heard the footsteps coming to the door; I could tell by the beating heart that it wasn't Victoria. I grew stiff thinking that he was here once again to sedate her. I growled at him as the door slowly swung open.

I clung to her body; I didn't want him touching her. He then told me that he was actually there taking care of her. He then asked me to put her on the bed so he could make sure that everything was okay. With a nod from Bella I reluctantly let her out of my arms and placed her on the bed. I walked over to the chair to sit so I wouldn't be in the way while he checked over Bella.

I was watching and listening as he was checking over her and his thoughts were mostly of his family, but when he began to pull her top off he began thinking of rubbing his hand over her skin stroking it ever so slightly, thinking about the swell of her breasts. I could hear his heartbeat pick up and before I knew it I was on my feet growling at him, fists clenched at my side to keep from killing him. I couldn't tell if the thoughts were just thoughts or something that he had done to Bella while she was sleeping.

I could hear his heart beating rapidly now. "None of that," he told me his voice almost cracking out of fear. He told me that her shirt and shorts needed to be removed in order for him to reach the incision he was trying to check out.

"You don't think she can do that herself, she doesn't need you pawing all over her with your less-than-innocent thoughts of her body." I panted out, I was doing everything in my power to take the focus off wanting to kill him even concentrating on and forcing myself to breathe, hoping that it would be enough.

His face paled, when I made it clear that I could read his thoughts. He then looked at Bella and she took it as her cue to continue with her shirt and shorts. When he peeled off the gauze the scent of Bella's blood flooded my nostrils and because I had burnt so much energy with the run and then the emotional reunion with Bella earlier I gasped and almost lunged forward, but instead I threw myself backward into the chair, gripping with everything I had, praying that it would keep me from attacking her. I prayed silently for her to just mask her scent, and once it was done, I heard her whispering to Thomas to leave; this was followed by a loud bang, which was then followed by his footsteps running down the hall.

I was rocking myself in the chair whispering my apology to her, I could hear the springs on the bed move and I knew she was coming toward me. She asked me to look at her but I shook my head no. I couldn't look at her, couldn't let her see the monster in my eyes, the monster that nearly attacked her just a few moments ago, the monster that felt the same urge just hours before outside of this very house.

I felt her hand come under my chin and clenched my eyes shut, she yelled at me to look at her so I did, I was surprised to see that there was no fear in her eyes. I couldn't believe after all this time and what I had just now done to her she didn't fear me, though I knew that I feared myself. She told me to stop breathing and so I did. The agony of the burn went away, although it was still there, and it was nothing like it been before before; it was worse.

"I was so close, Bella, I thought your smell was strong before, I forgot how much control it took to be around you until now. Oh god, Bella, I'm so sorry." I said while I pulled her into my lap.

"Edward, it's ok. I didn't think, you didn't think. Everything is fine, see I'm fine, nothing happened, we're okay." I was surprised that she was the one soothing me, helping me through the bloodlust that I had just felt.

"Everything is not okay, Bella, I haven't seen you in two years, I just forgot how intoxicating your blood is to me. How I could have forgotten, I almost lost control, Bella. What would I have done if I would have lost control and drained you?" I said in a more harsh tone than I'd intended.

"You wouldn't have, Edward, I know you wouldn't have," she said still trying to comfort me.

I stopped rocking and held her tighter to me while starring at her face. "I don't know what I would do without you, Bella, I don't know what I would do if I took your life." I couldn't even think of that, I wouldn't let myself think it because there was no way I was ever going to let that happen. Now more than ever Bella needed me and so I needed to be stronger than I have ever been.

I felt her shiver as I was holding her not realizing all the while that I was the one making her cold. I stood and walked her over to the bed tucking her under the covers as best as I could. I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead moved the hair out of her face and walked back to the chair in the corner. Within seconds her eyes closed and sleep took her.

As I watched Bella sleep I could see the emotions flicker across her face faster than I thought was imaginable for a human. She would smile and it would instantly turn into a frown, then back to a smile. Her brows would furrow, her lip would form a tight line and even at times I could hear her gritting her teeth.

In the middle of the night though her face turned into one that I had very little experience with and I wondered if I ever truly made her happy. Her smile was wide, almost so wide that I could see her teeth, she had a blush, and every now and then I could see the corner of her eyes crinkle. I leaned forward in the chair watching her, wondering what exactly it was that was making her so happy. How could she be this happy being trapped and away from her children?

I wasn't left long to wonder though. I noticed that she started to whimper and then she was biting her lip. I started to stand, thinking that she was having some sort of nightmare, but just as I let go of the chair arm she spoke his name.

_Jake_

The smile only grew when she spoke his name and she whimpered more, then shuffled in the bed. I paused, then, I wanted her to sleep; I had no intention of waking her. No sooner than the thought crossed my mind I heard a hissing noise and I noticed that it was from me. I could smell her, but there was something more; it was her strawberry scent, but it also had a musky smell, as well, almost like earth, and bark.

She was aroused, the thought of Jake in her dreams had her aroused, and I found myself hissing out of... out of what? Of jealousy? I could hear the sheets moving across her body as she sat up. Rubbing her eyes and looking around, she found my form standing next to the chair and looked at me with worry marring her face.

"Edward is something wrong, is she back?"

Inhaling an unnecessary breath, almost tasting the scent of her, I worked to calm myself before I spoke.

"She isn't here, love, nothing is wrong, you were just moving around in your sleep and I mistook it for a nightmare."

The blush on her cheeks flamed even brighter, and I could hear the beating of her heart pick up its pace, she cast her eyes down to the sheets that were now pooling on her lap. Her hands rose to her face and I could hear her begin to sob.

I made my way over to her and touched her shoulder. "Bella, what's wrong?"

With her hands still pressed to her face she shook her head and the sobbing grew. The pitch of her wails was increasing and I could hear her heart hammering in her chest.

I was beginning to worry, so I clasped my hands around her wrist and tugged slightly. I could feel her arms stiffen in order to keep her hands on her face.

"Bell,a love, look at me, tell me what is wrong?"

I could hear her sobbing out that she was sorry. I tugged on her with enough force to draw her hands away from her face, but not enough to hurt her. Slipping my finger under her chin I forced her to look at me.

"I'm so sorry, Edward."

"Sorry? Bella, what do you have to be sorry for?"

"You know, Edward, don't act like you don't."

Yes I did know, but how did she know?

"I said his name, didn't I? I was dreaming about Jake and it upset you."

I dropped my hands to the side of her legs, her still looking into my eyes. It took everything I had to remain still, I couldn't let her see that her dreaming about him hurt me.

"Yes, you did, you said his name. You looked happy, Bella, but that is nothing that you need to feel sorry for... You miss him."

Bella looked up toward the ceiling, tears now streaking down the side of her face and dropping onto her shoulders.

" I do miss him, I miss him so much, and when I sleep it's like I am there with him, I can feel him; I can feel everything, his heat, his love, his breath on my skin. It's like I'm there and not here. Like I never left."

"That's nothing to feel sorry for, Bella, you shouldn't be here. You should be in Forks with him and your children. Why would you feel sorry for dreaming of going back to that?"

She looked back at me with pain in her eyes, "Because, Edward, I can tell it's hurting you. Hearing me talk about him in my sleep. It's embarrassing to know that you know pretty much what I was dreaming and I am sorry that you have to go through that."

"It's not embarrassing Bella and it's what you feel about…the man you love." I struggled to say the words.

I stood up, not wanting to continue the conversation, and she slowly slunk back into the pillows. I drew the covers back up to her chest turned and sat in the chair. I could hear Bella turn toward the wall and before she drifted off to sleep I heard her whisper that she was sorry once more.

Bella didn't dream for the rest of the night, and even if she did, I doubt I would have noticed. The stream of Bella's happy expression played heavily on my mind. I searched every memory I had of her while we were together and it seemed it was true; that never during our time together did I witness her happiness at the peak at which it was tonight; while she slept only dreaming of Jake. Never, had I witnessed the same look of love and devotion aimed at me.

**_That wasn't so bad was it? Up next... Jake!_**

**_Review~!_**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: As promised I give you JPOV. This chapter was really short when I wrote it and I wanted to make it longer as a Christmas treat so I added some Leah too. I hope that me adding it doesn't end up as rambling. I added a song to this chapter because I couldn't find it to add to the playlist and it was really hard to dig up so the video isn't the best either but it's a great song. The song is "The Story of Us" by My Last Mistake. Hope you guys enjoy.**

http:/www[dot]myspace[dot]com/video/vid/3260750

Chapter 7

JPOV

Jake sat on the edge of the cliffs, feet dangling, looking out at the ocean; it was angry as it churned before him. A tear slipped down the side of his face, but he didn't bother wiping it away. He was thinking, thinking about Bella. But when wasn't he, though? It had seemed that, in these last three months, things hadn't changed. He would wake up, and the first thing he would think about would be Bella, and then his children, his family, sometimes the pack. He would go into the children's room, sit in the rocking chair beside the crib, breathing deeply, smelling their scent - sometimes he noted that the smallest hint of her scent would mingle with theirs - and then he would silently cry for all that they had lost. The children would wake, then, and he would attempt to make breakfast on the mornings that they woke, before Sue or one of the imprints would come over to help; someone always did, while he either worked on getting his GED, or ran patrols. It was neverending, always the same.

Jake looked out at the sky, watching the sun slowly dipping into the ocean, and he wondered just how many more of these he would have to watch without Bella; he knew, deep down, that he would be always be watching the sunset alone, without her, because she was gone, and no matter how badly he wanted that to be untrue, it was a fact that Jake struggled with daily. He would sit out on the cliffs and beg with his ancestors to bring her back; yes he wanted her back for himself, but her children needed her, too.

Just the other day, Ali was crying hysterically, and Jake couldn't get her to calm down. He was doing everything in his power to soothe her; he rocked her, patted her butt while bouncing her on his shoulder. He even went as far as to take his shirt off and lay down with her little head above his heart, thinking that somehow the heat from his body and the thumping of his heart would calm her. It wasn't until Billy rolled into the nursery and handed Jake a blanket from the trunk at the foot of his and Bella's bed that Ali finally calmed enough that she was able to sleep; he almost couldn't bear it then, knowing his daughter was lying in his bed and with a blanket that smelled so much like Bella that he couldn't stop the tears from flowing. His emotions always got the better of him, and he didn't notice until his daughter twitched that he was shaking from the sobs racking his body. Looking down at Ali, Jake willed his body still so that his daughter could sleep peacefully. She needed her mother, and it tore Jake up inside knowing this; knowing that even though he was there every second of the day for his children he alone wasn't enough.

Jake was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't hear or smell his pack brother behind him, so caught up that he didn't realize that Embry had now been sitting by him looking out at the sun sinking into the ocean for the last five minutes. Jake shook his head, trying to push all thoughts of Bella from his mind; he opened his eyes, looking down at the waves, and that's when he saw two bare feet kicking back and forth. His head shot to the right, and he saw Embry with a sad look on his face. Sighing, Jake rubbed his rough hands over his face and looked back out to the ocean.

It had to have been another ten minutes before either of them spoke; Embry drew in a ragged breath, looking at Jake with fear in his eyes.

"Jake. I want to tell you something, and I don't really know how you are going to take this, but I want you to hear it from me."

Jake's body started to tremble; flashes of Bella, his kids, the pack and leeches quickly ran through his head.

"What is it now, Em?"

Jake couldn't help but fear news about Bella, his kids or the pack, and couldn't help when his anger flared even thinking that they had another vampire problem. Since Bella had left to find her leech things slowed down around the rez, he didn't want them to pick back up.

Embry scratched the back of his neck and looked at Jake with a worried expression on his face. Jake expected that the news wasn't going to be something he wanted to hear, but it was important enough for Embry to seek him out after his ten hour patrol shift to tell him.

"Just tell me what it is, Em. S'not like I can't handle one more thing thrown at me."

With another intake of breath, Embry dropped his gaze from Jake's face, and spit out in a rush of words, "Angela is pregnant."

Jake's eyes went wide; that was something that he was _not_ expecting to hear, at all. Then, a smile spread across his face, when he noticed that Embry was nervously wringing his hands and rubbing his palms against his cut-off sweats. He couldn't help but chuckle at Embry's actions; he was acting like Jake was Angela's dad, scared shitless to tell the Pastor that he knocked up his nineteen-year-old daughter.

Embry's head snapped to the side at hearing Jake; a look of disbelief was stretched across his face. "What is so funny about that?" Embry asked, furrowing his brows.

With a smile tugging at the corners of Jake's lips, he took in Embry's appearance. Jake could tell that he was freaking out; he almost looked green. "Nothing, man, it's just funny to see you freaking out, like you're telling her dad or something. You'd think I'd yell at you for getting your imprint pregnant after only three months of knowing her?" Jake asked with a quirk of his brow.

"No, I just... I didn't want you to be upset when you heard. I know things have been hard since _**she **_left and I just didn't want the news of Angela being pregnant to upset you. We all know how hard it is on you."

Of course they knew how hard it was on him, a seventeen-year-old studying for his GED; they knew about that now, running patrols around the rez, taking care of his father and now, his three-month-old twins.

"It's cool, Em. I mean, s'not like I'm really surprised. I mean, the rez is turning into a regular baby-making factory." It was true, too: while Sam and Emily already had Cole and, as of two weeks ago Aidan, and then Kim found out that she was pregnant, not long after Bella had left, and so had Rachel. Was it really supposed to shock Jake, that imprinting magic wouldn't strike again with Embry?

"She doesn't even know yet."

Now that caught Jake off guard. "What? What do you mean she doesn't even know yet?"

"Okay, this is going to sound really freaking crazy, but she smells different. And, last week, when we were watching a movie at Sam and Emily's, I had my head on her stomach and I know I heard something. Since then, I've been some kind of creeper putting my head on her belly just to listen, like we used to do with Bel_- her._" Embry stopped himself, shooting a quick glance in Jake's direction. "Every time, I hear it, man; but I don't think she knows, yet."

"What makes you think that?" Jake asked.

"Well for one, she hasn't told me, and two, she's on the pill, and it's just last month that she couldn't remember if she took a pill or not, but when she looked, the pill was gone, so she figured that she took it. Apparently, she didn't."

"So, are you going to tell her?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I have to, taking those pills while she's pregnant can't really be good for the baby, can it?"

"I don't really know. Bella was never on them…obviously."

"Shit! This is so fucked up. I mean, it's usually the chick that gets all freaked out about telling the guy she's pregnant, and here I am going to be telling her that I can hear our kid's heart beating inside her already. It's really going to freak her out, and I bet she is totally going to be pissed too."

"Why would she be pissed? _**She**_ was freaked out a little when _**she**_ found out, but not pissed."

"Yeah, Jake, but we are supposed to be taking it slow, remember, not letting the imprint take over and all that shit."

"Well, what happened then?" Jake asked. Embry stared at him with a confused look.

"You know what I mean," Jake said, while shaking his head.

Embry looked out at the ocean; the sky was now dark. "It's hard," he said, after a minute. "A hell of a lot harder than what I ever thought it was going to be. It always pissed me off when I thought about Sam and Leah, thinking that if he tried harder that Leah wouldn't have caught him sleeping with Emily before she even knew that he was going to break it off with her.

"It was too damn hard, but I thought I was strong enough; guess I wasn't. It was the dumbest thing, I took her down to Second Beach to have a picnic and she went to lay out the blanket and rolled her ankle on the rocks and next thing I know we're taking off each other's clothes, then we're having sex. Like, bam - out of nowhere. I remember taking her sock off, to look at her foot. She screamed from the pain, and that was it, something took over, and we were doing it. I was so pissed after; that was our first time; mine and hers. I had sex with my imprint for the first time on a rock beach while she had a sprained ankle." Embry gritted the last part out, while shaking his head.

"So that was the only time, then?"

"What? No!" Embry practically yelled, then looked away. "It's like every time I see her since that time we can't keep our hands off each other. Once, I told her we had to stop and she agreed, because of the whole 'take it slow' thing, but that night when I was on patrol, I went past her house and I could hear her in her room, she was dreaming about me- she kept saying my name. I couldn't control it; I was in her room, and we were having sex before I knew it."

"So you really think she is going to be pissed? I mean, she has to know that it is a possibility even though she's on the pill."

"I don't really know if she'll be pissed, but every time I think about everything; the fact that we didn't take it slow like we had planned, the fact that I don't really have a job other than helping you out with cars every now and then, that she was going to go back to Seattle after the summer was over and finish school... She can't do that now, can she? Oh, god, do you think she'll still go?" Embry asked, fear present in his voice.

"I don't know, man. That's why you need to talk to her about it, tell her what's going on."

"But what if she -" Embry's sentnce cut off with a choking sound.

"Leaves." Jake finished for him.

Embry hung his head. "Yeah, what if she leaves? I mean I love her, that much we know. But now, now that I know that she's pregnant with my kid, I don't want her to leave. Half the time I think about it I don't even care if she would be unhappy being here or in Forks, just knowing that her and my kid would be where I could see them everyday is all that matters to me." Embry finished while catching a flinch that Jake didn't recover from quick enough.

"Shit, man. I'm sorry. See, this is why I wanted to tell you in person, but I was freaking out about telling you at the same time."

"Don't worry about it, Em. I would give anything for Bella to not have chosen the leech over me, over our kids, but she did and there is nothing I can do about it now."

"Would you take her back? If she came back to town?"

Jake sighed. Deep down, he wanted to tell Embry that he wouldn't, but he couldn't, because it was Bella. And he knew that he still would; Embry knew it too.

"Yeah, man, I would take her back. In a heartbeat. Probably with no questions asked, at this point. But I don't really think that's going to be happening."

"For what it's worth, Jake, she fucked up. Seriously fucked up. If she couldn't see how much you loved her, and how much the pack loved her, and how great those kids are, then you're better off."

"I know, Em. But it doesn't mean that they don't need her, doesn't take away the fact that I really need her either."

"Sorry, man. You know how much Quil and I love Bella, but you're our brother and right now all we care about, all the pack cares about, is you and those kids. You'll get through it, Jake. Hopefully, some day, you'll be able to move on from Bella Swan. Hey, you never know, you might just find your imprint soon and be in as screwed up a situation as I am." Embry let out a deep breath and stood to his feet. "Guess I need to go and have a talk with Ang."

"Yeah, man, let me know how that goes."

"Right" Embry said with an eye roll, as he walked away from the cliff.

0000000000000000

Jake stayed on the cliff, his thoughts drifting back to Bella, his heart clinched as every smile flashed through his mind. Tears pricked in his eyes at the thought of every _I love you_ they'd ever exchanged; they streamed down his face at every touch they had shared. He loved Bella Swan more than any one knew. He wasn't sure how he was going to live without her, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to even try. That was until he heard the cry of his daughter in the distance.

Standing up from the cliff edge, Jake whispered to Bella that he loved her. Then, slowly turning around, he began walking back to the two things that were now the reason for his existence; somewhere inside of him he couldn't help but smile, because even though Bella didn't love him enough to be there herself...she had left two of the most important pieces of her behind.

0000000000000000

**One Month Later**

Jake stepped out of the woods, pulling on his cut-off shorts and running his hand through his cropped hair. He couldn't help but let a small smile play on his lips at what he heard inside the little red house. Sam, Emily, Charlie and Sue were all waiting for him to get off "work", but he could hear the smile in Leah's voice as she cooed over his children; Leah was happy. She had been for the last month and Jake couldn't help but be happy for her, hell the whole pack couldn't help but be happy for her. She found her imprint and within hours of knowing him they had mated and he was told everything about the pack and the cold ones. What shocked everyone the most was the fact that Ryder took everything in stride, just like _**she**_ had.

_It had only been three months since Bella had been gone and just mere days after the talk with Embry when Leah went to the store to get the colic medicine for Ali. From what the pack had seen in her mind Leah chose to run to the pharmacy in Forks because she was stressed that nothing she could do would get Ali to stop screaming and it played on Leah's emotions, only multiplying the fears of why she would never be a mother. She pulled on her slip dress and unrolled the leather moccasins slipping them on her feet. Walking out of the woods, Leah was running her fingers through her hair picking up her pace, when she saw a figure walking toward the door. In a panic, Leah grabbed the handle on the door and jerked it open. Feeling a hard chest hitting her, she staggered back, telling the stranger that she was sorry and she really needed to get some Gripe Water before the store closed._

_When she heard a chuckle her eyes shot up to meet the stranger, no doubt ready to lay into him for thinking it funny that a baby was in such discomfort. The soon to be lashing died on her lips when her eyes were met with eyes that were a mixture of blue green and grey. Leah's hand shot to her mouth, trying to cover the gasp that was about to escape, but for once, since her time as a werewolf, speed was not on her side. The stranger's brow furrowed at her reaction to him and in the next instant he was holding her body up and carrying her into the drug store._

_He placed her in one of the chairs near the pharmacy and with a single finger moved the curtain of jet black hair away from her face. His lips were moving, but Leah couldn't hear a word that he said, though his eyes held her; held every single part of her. The guys said that imprinting was like a thousand tiny cables pulling you and your imprint together, that the girl was everything and nothing else mattered. _

_There was no pull with Leah and her imprint because why would there be a pull when she was already one with this person. His soul was hers the instant that he looked into her brown eyes. The cables were useless for them, there was no need to pull the imprint in to hold until the imprint was fully comfortable with the life they were about to lead; no, in that instant the stranger felt like he was home, felt like he had never felt before, felt like he had know this woman all of his life, felt like she was his._

_No words were spoken between the two and within minutes of their meeting the two were locked in an embrace so heated the two almost feared for what was to come next. When they were kissing everything was whirling around them, every emotion that he or she felt at every important part in their lives was felt by the other. He felt the fear, anger and hatred she felt the day that she phased for the first time, the day her dad died. She in return felt the sadness, terror and pain he felt the day that his mother died of cancer. Neither of them knowing the reason behind the emotions clung to each other like they had never clung to another, and both of their faces on the other's shoulder smiled because they were home, and nothing was taking them away._

_When the two finally were able to get some kind of hold on their double-sided emotions, they stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever; that is, until Leah heard a howl in the distance. Snapping herself out of the eyes of her imprint she cleared her throat in preparation to talk. The stranger's eyes grew wide and twinkled at the prospect of hearing her voice, and when she spoke his body completely relaxed so much so that the stranger was rocking back on his heels feeling like the weight of the world was now lifted off of his shoulders. He thought himself crazy for feeling the way he was because a woman had come to his store asking for Colic Medicine for a baby. Dropping his head and smiling to himself he hoisted himself up out of the crouching position, then grabbed her hand and pulled her up, feeling the heat of her hand spread through his hand and slowly through his entire body as he walked her to the infant care section._

_He turned to her knowing he should feel fear for the answer of his next question, know that any normal man would feel fear even asking, though he didn't. Before even asking her he knew the answer to the question his soul knew, but he asked anyway, asked if the medicine was for her child, and when she said no that it was for her niece he almost felt smug. He knew this woman was his, he could feel it in every ounce of his body. His smile grew brighter at her answer, and never dropping her hand he picked up the medicine, made his way back to the pharmacy and slowly flipped the switches on the back wall. He then made his way to the back room while still holding her hand, walked her to the back door, and not wanting to let her go he pulled her close to his back her chest almost touching him and drew her arm around his chest; looking back at her, he whispered for her to hold on. She did. Slowly, he untangled his fingers from hers, not happy with the loss of heat in his hand but comfortable enough because he could feel her breath on the back of his neck as he placed the bar over the back door and quickly clicked the padlock into place. _

_Reaching up, he grabbed her hand, and made his way to the front door. Once again pulling her through it, he wrapped her arm around his chest as he locked the front door and set the alarm. He made his way around the back of the pharmacy to a huge truck, it had four doors and was so high that she quirked an eyebrow at his back. Walking up to the truck he pulled the keys out of his pocket, unlocking the door and pulling it open, he then leaned into the truck moving the center armrest up so that the bench seat was open. He quickly turned around, placed both hands on her waist and deposited her into the seat. Not letting go of his hand, Leah shifted over just enough to make room for him to enter the truck. He looked at her, once again stealing her breath with his eyes, smiled, and pulled out of the lot._

_Not knowing where he was going but feeling that the direction he was taking was right, he never took his eyes off the road and she never took her eyes off him. She was studying every single curve, dip and line of him that she could see. When she felt the truck come to a halt she gasped ,looking out the windshield she knew they wer at a place that she hadn't been in so long, - it was her house, well not her house _yet_, but the house that her family had rented for the last decade since her father bought it off foreclosure and fixed it up. She looked at him in shock, not knowing how he knew where this place was. She wanted to know, but before she could speak he spoke. _

_"We're home, right? This is our place?"_

_Leah just nodded ,and thanked the spirits that the house was sitting empty and waiting for the next tenants to move in._

_He opened the door, their bodies still connected, pulled her to him and let her body fall against and slide down his as she made her way out of the truck. He guided her to the door of the house and stood still. Leah kicked over the dead potted plant, reached down and took the key in her hand, smiling when he placed his arm over her chest again so they that could keep contact. She gasped in surprise when he picked her up bridal-style and made his way through the front door. Walking down the hall, he flipped the lights on as he went. Finding the kitchen he made his way in and placed Leah on the counter right by the phone. Not a word was said as she picked up the phone, called Jake to tell him to come over and get the medicine because she couldn't make it to him - she could hear the frustration in his voice, and could still hear Ali crying in the background, but nothing could pull her out of this moment. As she talked to Jake on the phone she could feel the stranger's eyes on her - never straying from her face to rake down her body like a normal man; no, he was waiting for her eyes, and so she gave them to him. Looking him in the eyes she didn't break contact until there was a loud banging at her door. _

She made her way off the counter and led the stranger to the door; pulling it open, she could already see Jake's mouth opening to yell or say something bitchy, but his mouth fell open when he saw the look in Leah's eyes and the look in the stranger's eyes, as well. He knew. In that instant Jake knew, and his heart clenched at the fact that another wolf on the rez was happy, but he couldn't feel bad for long because his pain was covered by the happiness that was coming off Leah and her imprint. He just smiled at Leah, held out his hand and waited for the box. The stranger pulled the box out of his lab coat and handed it to Jake and with a nod Jake turned and ran back into the forest.

_Once the door was closed, Leah was pressed into it with hot kisses searing every inch of her body and she wanted more. They didn't make it out of the entry way for hours and when the hardwood floor got uncomfortable for her imprint, Leah felt it and took his hand leading him to their bedroom where, for the next two days, no one heard from either of them, and he found out everything he needed to know about her, and she him._

Jake was standing in the kitchen with a look of disbelief and humor on his face. "Tell me you did not do that to these kids," he said, walking over to Ali and picking her up, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter as the hood of the costume fell over her face. Leah and Ryder, ever connected, were standing behind the triple stroller that held CJ, along with Ali and a very bundled Aidan, while Cole was holding Emily's hand next to Sam who sat in the corner also shaking with silent laughter.

Jake looked around the room and caught Sam's gaze. "You seriously are going to let her do that to your kids? I think this is going to scar them for life. Cole is old enough to know what's going on, you know that, right?" With that Sam bust out laughing, and Emily could be heard trying to stifle her own. Jake placed Ali back in the stroller next to the other two children, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Oh, come on, Jake, it's so cute. You know the pack is going to love it," Leah stated.

"Oh, yeah sure, Lee, you say that now. But, when you and Ryder have kids, and I dress it up like a pig for Halloween, am I going to see you laughing?" The room instantly grew quiet, and Jake wanted to punch himself in the mouth, for even mentioning kids around Leah and Ryder. No sooner than the thought crossed his mind the flash of white teeth caught his attention, and he looked up at Leah.

"No, Jake. I think you'll come up with something better than the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf when Ryder and I have kids," Leah said, while rubbing her stomach.

Mayhem broke loose in a flash, as Sue and Emily charged Leah while squealing with delight; Sam strode over to Ryder and clapped him on the back. Jake looked at the scene before him and felt a pang to his heart; making his way out of the kitchen, Jake sat down on the sofa next to a stone-faced Charlie.

Charlie and Jake sat shoulder to shoulder on the tiny sofa in the Black house while the commotion continued in the kitchen. Growing uncomfortable with the silence, Jake tried to lighten the mood.

"So more grandkids, huh, Charlie?"

"Don't know what you're talking about, son" Charlie said while tipping his beer back and taking a long slow gulp.

"Awe, come on, Charlie, you know what I'm talking about. Since Harry died you have been there for them, and we all know that you and Sue are getting close."

Charlie shot Jake a glare. "Yep. Still don't know what you're talking about." Charlie said, in a huff.

"Okay. So, you're telling me that all this time since _**she**_," Jake barely bit the word out, "has been gone, you and Sue haven't grown closer. Your feelings for her haven't changed in any way? We know she's been there helping you since that day, Charlie. She helped you put the missing posters all around town, even in Port Angeles, all the way up to Seattle, and down to damn near Oregon. She's good for you, Charlie, and everyone can see that she makes you happy. Having Seth and Leah around makes you happy too." Jake finished, giving Charlie knowing look.

Charlie looked at Jake once more, this time with a mixture of joy and sadness on his face. "I know, she is good for me, and it's true we have gotten close, but nothing or no one will ever replace Bella. I don't even know how to do anything these days but search for and hope that she is going to come back."

"I'm not saying that Sue and her kids are going to replace her, Charlie, or that you need to stop looking for and hoping she'll come home, but you need to be happy too, you can still have a life even though _**she's**_ not here; still be happy, and Sue can do that for you." Looking into the kitchen he could see the smile on Sue's face as she was rubbing Leah's still-flat stomach.

"Yeah, well, those words of wisdom can go both ways, Jake." Jake looked at Charlie with shock written on his face, was he really telling him to get over Bella so soon?

"Now don't look at me like that, you can be happy too, you know… without her. I'm not telling you to move on because I really don't think you would even if I told you to; I can still see you struggling with being happy. Bella loved your smile, said it was like the sun to her; yet you're always trying to cover it up, to hide it. Those kids need to see the Jake that she always saw. I'm sorry that she did that to you, remember I know what it's like to be left by someone you love unconditionally, but I let it eat me up too long. I didn't even make an honest effort for the longest time with her; maybe that's where it went wrong."

"You didn't go wrong, Charlie. There's just things about _**her**_ that you are never going to understand, things _I_ won't even _try_ to understand anymore, _**she**_ made her decision to leave us, and now I'm really trying my hardest to make things right for my kids, and it does get to me more often than I should let it, but I really am working on it. I'm trying, for them."

"I know you are, son."

Sue walked into the living room, then, catching Charlie's attention; tears were shining in her eyes as she made her way over to the couch to pull on his hand. Charlie stood and looked back at Jake, then he jerked his head toward the kitchen and shuffled behind Sue. With a roll of his eyes, Jake stood too; walking back to the kitchen, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he made his way to his pigs, he couldn't help but feel that this smile wasn't just one to appease his pack; it was real, and it was for his kids and himself too, because even though _**she**_ wasn't here, he was, and no one, especially him, was going to let these moments slip away.

**So what did you think of the Leah imprint? I wanted it to be different than the guys she is a shewolf after all. Let me know. Happy Holidays!**


	9. Bonus Chapter Charlie POV

**A/N: I've gotten a couple of PM's asking how Charlie reacted to Bella leaving. Since it's Christmas I thought I would give all my readers this bonus chapter as a present, and maybe because I feel guilty that I might not get a chapter out next week, work has me on seven days straight. Hope you enjoy.**

Charlie POV

Charlie sat in his office at the Forks Police Department, waiting for one of his deputies to get back so he could head over to Billy's. Today was Halloween, and Leah and her boyfriend Ryder, along with Jake and all of his friends, had plans to take their kids trick or treating in Forks tonight.

Charlie shifted back in his chair, grabbing one of the missing posters that were now plastered all over town, at every main intersection between Forks and Seattle and all the way down to Oregon. Charlie couldn't help the anger bubbling up in his chest at the thought that he, the Sherriff of a police department, could not even find his own child; even with the contacts he had, she was still missing.

The day that Bella went missing was a huge shock to everyone. He couldn't get to the hospital that day to help Jake get her home because there was an accident on the 101 not far from town. When Charlie pulled up to the scene, he grimaced. His feet crunched over the gravel and shards of glass as he made his way over to the embankment. One of his deputies was already there taping off the area because he was on patrol and got the call first. He looked over and saw a car on its top, smoke still bellowing out of the now crushed hood. Walking over to the deputy Charlie had asked him what had happened, and the deputy told him that the woman driving the car was sitting in the back of his patrol car waiting to be questioned.

Charlie made his way over to the woman, looking her over to see if there were any signs of alcohol or drugs; the woman didn't look to be inebriated in any way. Squatting down in front of the woman Charlie drew his pad out of his pocket and asked the lady to explain to him what had happened. She told Charlie that she was driving along the 101 on her way home from a shopping trip in Port Angeles, when she saw a flash of red on the side of the road ahead of her. She said that the flash was gone, but in the next instant it was in front of her car, and that she swerved to avoid hitting whatever it was and ended up flipping the car over in the embankment. She said that because the car was on its top she had to kick her way out of the rear window then made her way to the road, where she flagged down a passing car to ask them to call 911. She told Charlie she wasn't sure what the red flash was, but the first time she saw it ahead of her she thought it looked like a person, but right before she hit it that it could have been some kind of animal for how fast it was moving; she just wasn't sure.

While Charlie was wrapping up the scene he got a call from Debbie, the department dispatcher, telling him that his daughter Bella was missing. He rushed to the hospital where he was met by Sam, who explained to Charlie as much as he could. Charlie went crazy, demanding every security video of all the exits in the hospital be sent to the station so he could go through them himself. During his rant, Sam had stopped him by placing a warm hand on his shoulder, telling him that it wouldn't be necessary, that Bella had left on her own. Charlie promptly went off on Sam, almost to the point of fingering his revolver when Sam sadly pulled the crumpled up note out of his pocket and handed it to him.

Charlie gasped out in shock when he read the note, stumbling back into a chair and grabbing at his chest. At the time, he thought for sure he was having a heart attack; the anger that was flowing through him was like none he had ever felt before.

He knew this was going to happen. As soon as Jake and Bella told him that she was pregnant he had tried to warn Jake, that Bella was just like her mother; that she was going to feel trapped and want to run away. Although now it seemed worse because at least Renee had stuck around for a couple of years before ripping his child away from him; no, Bella wasn't even worried about her children. From what the note had said all she was worried about was finding Cullen.

Why she wanted to find him is what confused Charlie the most; he kept going through every explanation over and over in his head. Even though Bella wasn't living with him anymore, he saw her almost every day, when he went to visit her on the reservation. She seemed so happy, her Jake and Billy, everything seemed to be going so well, but then again he thought everything was just fine with him and Renee too.

Crumpling up the note and shoving it back at Sam, Charlie sped his way down to the reservation to question everyone that was in contact with Bella that day. When it came time to question Jake all he could see was hurt, anger and hate in his eyes and he didn't have the heart to ask him the questions twice.

Charlie stayed that night with Jake and Billy, the three of them trying their best to take care of the twins; thankfully, Sue and Emily showed up and helped them. Charlie was never more thankful than he was that night. The days that followed were filled with the search for Bella. Charlie had made hundreds of missing person posters and along with help from some of Jake's friends, Bella's friend Angela, and Sue, all of them were put up within days.

Charlie looked through every tape that he could get from the hospital, and he had yet to get a glance at Bella. He didn't understand how she couldn't be found on any of the tapes. He looked them over what he felt was a hundred times, pausing them, blowing up the pictures, everything he could to try and spot her; it seemed to him that Forks hospital was never as busy as it was the day that Bella had disappeared.

Charlie even went as far as to question the doctors, nurses and surgeons about the Cullens. Every single one of them - even the hospital board - told him that when Carlisle had left the hospital, he told him that they had found a job at a hospital in Los Angeles. Charlie spent nearly every day after that calling all of the hospitals, and even Urgent Care Facilities in and around the City of Los Angeles looking for Dr. Cullen, but he found nothing; not one Los Angeles hospital had a Dr. Cullen on staff.

When he couldn't find any information from the hospital, Charlie had called his contacts at both the Seattle PD and one of his old co-workers who was now working for the California State Police. He told them the situation and asked that they help him look into Bella's disappearance. Although neither of them had found anything when Charlie called for weekly updates he asked them to continue to keep an eye out.

Charlie didn't know what else to do, he didn't know much about the Cullens and it seemed that any way that he could have possibly been able to contact them lead to a dead end. He couldn't find them anywhere. He even asked Jake if he knew anything about them. That had turned into Jake becoming so enraged Charlie thought he was going to have to taze him until the not-so-little Seth Clearwater drug him into the woods to cool off.

Charlie was brought out of his thoughts of the last couple of months when Debbie's voice rang through his office phone that deputy Wagner was back from his patrol. Charlie placed the poster back on his desk with a sigh, grabbed his uniform jacket off the back of his chair, and slowly made his way out of his office, clicking the light off as he went. He made a vow to himself before leaving the building that tomorrow, when he came back, he would try harder to find the Cullens - he knew, in his bones, that they had something to do with his daughter going missing, and it wasn't just the note she had left that made him feel that way, either; he wasn't going to stop looking for them until he found out just how much involvement they had with her disappearance.

**Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: So wow, I know this one took about forever and a day to get out at least it felt like it to me. I had to do some editing, which lead to a lot of writing and rewriting this chapter over and over again and well I just got tired of it so I'm posting it. Taylor'sLizzie is my beta and she is pretty awesome for putting up with me so thank you! Thanks to everyone who is reading, reviewing and sticking with this story.**

Chapter 8

Bella was bored; the boredom had steadily been growing for months now. She knew, now, that she had been here for more than a year. Edward had heard Thomas months ago thinking about how long he had been kept from his family. It was still a mystery to both her and Edward as to why they were here. Victoria very rarely made appearances in their little room, and when she did it was to watch and torment her while the other vampire took Edward out to hunt. She would let him hunt in the mountains that surrounded the house, giving orders to the other vampire to never let him leave his sight, but as Edward told her, he would never risk running for fear of what Victoria would do to Bella.

Today was the day that Victoria would come and get him to hunt, Bella would be moved to another room as always while a maid cleaned her room, Bella would have felt like she was in a hotel if it had not been for the crazy red eyed vampire that would pop in when she felt the need to threaten Bella and pull Edward out to hunt.

There was a knock at the door; Edward stood swiftly making is way to Bella's side. Victoria walked into the room, a sinister gleam in her eye. Snapping her fingers at Edward, she cocked her head toward the door. Edward pulled Bella into his chest letting her scent flow over him, using it as a way to stay calm. Once the door closed Victoria made her way over to Bella grabbing her roughly by the arm pulling her closer to her.

"It's time." was all Victoria said.

Bella wasn't sure if the words themselves or the chill of her breath washing over her face was what made her shiver, either way, Bella was scared. After a year's worth of nothing but nasty words from Victoria, they both knew that she needed to make her mind up, no matter what she had in store for them; they also knew that she hadn't made her mind up, nor did she show any indication that she would ever decide.

Victoria jerked on Bella's arm sending her crashing into her marble body, Bella winced in pain when her head smacked into Victoria's chin. She could feel the cool air exit Victoria's mouth when she laughed at Bella's pain, and in that instant she was filled with dread.

Jerking Bella's arm again Victoria led her into the hallway, but instead of turning left like they had so many times before Victoria turned right and slowly made her way down the hall. Bella took in everything that she could along the walk basking in the light of the house. Other than the two rooms that Victoria had kept her in Bella had never been in any other part of the house; Victoria only ever let her out of her room to then be ushered into another room. The further down the hall they got the darker and cooler it became. Victoria stopped at a door on the right. Dropping Bella's arm she reached into her front pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. Using the biggest one, Bella noted, she unlocked the padlock on the door. Victoria then pushed the door open and shoved Bella in.

Bella's breath caught while her eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the room. In one corner was a heap of blankets and a pillow, in another was what looked like a utility sink and a toilet, but along the wall were chains, not just a single chain like Bella had been attached to in her room, no there were three of these, one anchored in the middle of the wall and two to the floor.

Bella felt Victoria's had in the middle of her back and before she could even think about putting up a fight she was thrown to her knees. Bella's knees hit the tile floor so hard that she fell forward only catching herself from crashing face first into the tile by her hands, and before Bella could even begin to right herself Victoria wrapped her hand in her hair and jerked her back. Her head snapped back with such force that she thought her neck was going to break right then; crying out Bella's hand instantly went to her hair trying to relive some of the pain Victoria's grip was causing. Looking at the ceiling fighting the tears from streaming down her face Bella was trying as hard as she could not to scream, she knew Edward would hear her, she knew he would fight to get back to her.

Just then Victoria's face came into her line of sight and she of course had a smile on her face.

"Finally everything is in place, and it's time for the fun to begin, pet. Are you ready?"

Bella wanted so badly to fight Victoria, curse her for holding her this long without so much as an inclination of what she was doing. There was no doubt in Bella's mind that Victoria was going to do something to both her and Edward, but either of them had no clue exactly what it was.

Every time Thomas would enter the room in the beginning and the months that followed Edward would scan every thought he had, and most of the time according to Edward they were either of his family or thoughts of Bella's body. He knew nothing of what was going to happen to either one of them. The last time Bella saw Thomas had to have been over six months ago and even then his only thoughts were of his family and how Victoria was letting him go back to them. When Thomas didn't show up the next day Victoria was in his place and that was when they had started coming once a week. When Bella and Edward were safely in their room later that night she had quietly asked him if Thomas was dead, with frustration was written all over his face when Edward stated that he didn't know because he couldn't hear either Victoria's or Riley's thoughts and that was what had worried him the most.

Victoria jerked harder on Bella's hair, causing Bella to scream out in pain, and Victoria to laugh. "Oh this is going to be so much fun, I think I've waited long enough to make the both of you pay for what you did to my James don't you think pet?" Victoria said while bringing her face closer to Bella's.

Pulling Bella up by her hair Victoria turned Bella around and shoved her backward toward the wall. When her body made contact with the wall, all the air gushed out of her lungs; she slowly started to sink down to her knees. Victoria was over to her in a flash shoving her back up to standing. Pulling her up by the neck Victoria's hand was replaced by steel as she latched it around Bella's neck, it was then that Bella noticed that some of her brown hair was wrapped around Victoria's fingers and under her nails. She made quick work of cuffing Bella's feet into the chains attached to the floor, giving her a hard slap to the face each time Bella tried to put up the slightest bit of resistance.

Bella could feel her left eye starting to swell, feel the blood that was running out of her eyebrow, the smell almost bringing Bella to her knees. She was struggling to stay standing; she didn't want to give Victoria another reason to slap her. Looking up Bella saw Victoria pacing back and fourth in front of her, Bella couldn't hear what she was mumbling but she had an idea, after all Victoria was a human drinker.

"Why don't you just do it?" Victoria's eyes flashed to meet Bella's.

"Drain me, kill me isn't that what we are here for?" Bella asked.

Victoria was at Bella's side in an instant slowly dragging her nail up the side of Bella's face through the small trail of blood that was running down it. "You really think I would drain you just like that? Not make you suffer at all after what you did to my James? You can't even imagine what it's going to be like for you, pet, and I can't wait for the game to start, it's going to be an interesting one if I do say so myself."

Stepping back Victoria stuck her finger in her mouth sucking the blood off the nail.

"It's not that good" she spat and slowly made her way to the door.

The metal door closed with a snap and then Bella heard the click of the padlock outside leaving her in complete darkness.

/

It had been two weeks since the metal door had snapped closed, two weeks since Bella had seen any light other than the small, almost burnt-out bulb that hung in the middle of the room. Once a day a small flap located at the bottom of the steel door would open and a tray of rice would be shoved through. Eating with her fingers and drinking what tasted like rusty water out of the utility sink Bella was growing weak. There was nothing for her to do in this room but sleep and as the days slowly drew on she felt like the walls were slowly moving in on her. Sitting with her back against the wall Bella drew today's tray into her lap and began to shovel the food in her mouth; normally Bella wouldn't eat the way she was, but only being fed a small tray of rice once a day and constantly wondering if today's tray would be her last she made quick work of the food. Walking over to the sink Bella turned on the faucet placing her mouth on the cool metal she drank, cleaned the tray and stacked it among the others.

Walking back over to her makeshift bed Bella settled in and let sleep take her.

Not long after she had fallen asleep a bright light washed over her and she could hear voices, furrowing her brows in her sleep Bella slowly began to wake, when the light got brighter as she tried to open her eyes Bella sat up quickly in bed pulling her knees to her chest, the door was open.

Scrunching her eyes and holding her hand over her brows Bella tried to see whose form was making a shadow in the door, her question was quickly answered when she heard Edward's smooth velvety voice whisper her name. There was pain and sadness in his voice, Bella quickly got to her feet and made her was as close to Edward as she could.

She gasped, taking in his appearance when her eyes finally adjusted to the light. Edward's shirt was tattered and torn, slips of his shirt open and revealing his heaving chest, the navy blue pants he was wearing the last time she saw him were much the same; the knees worn and caked with dust and mud. Scanning up his body her hand flew to her mouth stopping a scream from coming out and she quickly jumped back plastering her body against the wall.

Edward's hand shot out toward her, and then the metal door snapped closed once again.

Bella was on the verge of panic, she had never seen Edward like this, but what scared her the most, his eyes once a golden amber were now dark and rimmed in red. _He couldn't have_.

Edward slowly made his way to Bella hand outstretched, the closer he got to her the more she pressed herself into the wall. Seeing the tears streaming down her face, hand still pressed to her mouth, Edward stopped and dropped to his knees; falling forward, hands fisting the back of his head all he could do was whisper that he was sorry.

They stayed like that for what could have been hours, Bella's sobs growing, the more Edward repeated that one word, Edward's anger toward himself rose each time he said it. He froze the instant he felt her warm hand touch his laced fingers, and not to startle her he slowly untwined his hands and just as slowly took one of her warm hands into his marble one.

When their eyes finally met Bella couldn't stop the accusing words from slipping out of her mouth, "what did you do?"

Edward looked like he had been stabbed, pain flashed over his face and he cringed. "He made me do it Bella, I didn't want to kill him, they told me if I didn't they would come here and kill you."

"Who did you kill Edward, what did he do?" Bella's voice was cracking as she tried to sputter out the words.

"They said he got too close, he was going to blow it, and they brought him back here and made me kill him." Edward was forcing the words out of his mouth and Bella was only growing confused.

"Who was he, Edward, what did he get to close to?"

Edward locked eyes with Bella once more and pain lacing his features as the next words flowed over his lips;

"Your children are beautiful, Bella."

"Wha…what did you say?" Bella stuttered out.

"Your children, they are beautiful, that's who he got too close to. He was a spy that Victoria planted to watch your children. I saw in his mind, he was talking to Angela Weber on a park bench, she was holding a baby and looking across the park at a man that was young and looked like he was Quileute; he was pushing two children in the swings across the park, I saw you in them, Bella, I know they were yours."

Bella grabbed Edward by the shoulders trying in vain to shake more information out of him. "Did he hurt them, Edward," she nearly screamed into his face. "Oh god, tell me he didn't."

"No, he didn't. But I could see that he had been watching them for a while, I saw them when they were little and the last memory he had of them was when they were in the park, it had to have been this spring, they were older."

"What do you mean he got too close?"

"Riley said the last time he went to check on the spy he was asking too many questions, I could tell by his thoughts that Riley was right, the man that Angela was looking at in the park that day was a wolf; he was suspicious of the man and was her closely paying attention to the conversation the man was having with her."

"So he made you kill him just like that, did you ask him anything, Edward, anything at all?" Bella's voice was rising with each question she asked.

"Bella, he was practically beaten to death when they took me to him, and when they told me if I didn't finish the job they had stated they were going to come and kill you….. I couldn't let them kill you."

Realizing what Edward had just said Bella dropped her hands from his shoulder and shuffled back out of his reach, "Are you….are you ok, Edward, when was this?"

"It happened the first night they took me from you; I've been fighting the bloodlust since, and feeding on every animal I could find to stop it, from letting it overtake me."

The statement didn't make Bella feel any more at ease, shifting back to the wall her gaze once again took in his appearance. "What did he do to you?"

Edward told her that in the weeks that they had been separated Riley would bring humans to the woods, and then feed off of them in front of him, enticing him to do the same. He told Bella that he still couldn't hear what Riley was thinking, and that he had even tried to get Riley to tell him anything, but he never faltered. Victoria had him believing that they were mates and that all she wanted to do was slowly pick the Cullens off one by one so they could have their territory in Forks.

For hours after that Bella couldn't help but ask Edward questions about her children, if they were happy, what they looked like, she wanted every detail. She told Edward that when she was in the hospital Embry, one of Jake's friends - a wolf who had imprinted on Angela, and who could have been the father of the child Edward had seen Angela holding... Bella noted Edward's look of intrigue when she brought up imprinting so later she told him as much as she knew about imprinting, and in turn Edward compared it to vampire mating. The conversation grew heated when Edward asked Bella if Jake had imprinted on her and sad when she told him that no Jake didn't imprint on her, but that he promised her that he never would imprint on another. Deep down though, Bella wished that Jake had already found someone, imprinted, and was forgetting her, because she knew that she was never getting out of this situation alive; of course, what she didn't know, was just how soon her thoughts would become a reality.

**There it is... more drama to come, the story will pick up and soon there will be a time jump...soon I promise.**

**Review!**


	11. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hey guys I just wanted to start this post off by begging you to please please not kill me when you get done reading this. I am so nervous about posting this one, so much so that when I sent it to my beta Taylor'sLizzie, who is awesome by the way for dealing with the crazy that is me, I almost had a freak out moment and didn't send it, like my little cursor would dart to and away from the send button and when I did hit the button I was like holy shit Lynda..yes my name is Lynda… with a Y thank you very much; what did you just do. So I took a deep breath and thought what the hell, the worse they can do is flame me or stop reading all together or say bitch please stop jerking us around and get to the good shit already. So I give you; maybe, hopefully, some good shit.**_

**Chapter 9**

_Bella was warm, warmer than she had been in a long time. As she was curling into herself to keep the heat, her forehead brushed into something hot and wet. Slowly peeling her eyes open, they met with russet skin; smiling Bella moved her hand from under her chin and wrapped it around the chest of the man she loved. _

Jake.

_Slowly Bella began to uncurl her body out against the one next to her, the stretching of her muscles felt like heaven in that moment, but what felt better was the rumble of laughter vibrating through her lover's chest. She looked up, and blew a lock of hair out of her eyes into his face. _

_Jake was smiling down at her, and pulling her closer into her nook. Bella loved lying like this with Jake right in the special place that was hers- her body fit perfectly in the spot that his raised arm made; she would rest her head on his chest, wrap her arm around his waist and tangle her legs up in his and he would hold her like that all night. Trying her hardest with her arm barely wrapped around him she pulled, wanting to draw him closer to her, which resulted in yet another rumble of laughter from Jake._

"_Bells, if you want to get any closer I think you are going to just have to crawl under my skin. I'm right here, honey."_

"_Mmm, I know, Jake. It's just, I missed you. That's all." Bella said, while looking into Jake's eyes._

"_Well, Jared is back from Port Angeles, his visit with Kim went well and he's got my patrol for the next week, since I took his. So we got all kinds of time, Bells."_

"_If I didn't like Kim so much I'd tell you that you are never allowed to take double patrols again just so Jared can go stay with her. Why can't Embry do it next time or even Quil?" Bella finished off with more of a pout in her voice than she would have liked, almost sounding like an upset child._

"_Honey, you know why I do it. No patrols for a whole week, a whole week I get to spend with you. Plus every time Jared comes back from Port Angeles there's something wrong with that beamer of his and I get to fix it so it means more money for us." Jake said while rubbing the side of Bella's bump._

_His rubbing soon turned into slight tickling and when Bella began to squirm and fight, Jake began to dig his fingers into her ribs harder, tickling her. Bella fought her way out of the nook and straddled Jake, his eyes got a mischievous glint to them and Bella knew that it was all a part of his plan. After all, Bella was in her tiniest sleep shorts and barely there tank top, and Jake was… well, naked._

_Looking down at Jake, Bella saw everything that made her crazy with lust. His hair was jagged and shooting every which way, there was a smudge of mud on his cheek and streaks of dirt running down his chest, there was still a slight sheen of sweat to his skin which almost made it glisten in the morning sun. His smile was in place and as usual his white teeth were shining. How a man could look so damn sexy after running in the muddy woods for seven days straight Bella didn't know, at the same time she really didn't care because she knew the second Jared was back on La Push soil Jake ran back to his house without even cleaning up and quietly climbed into bed with her._

_Jake smelled what his just-off-patrol look did to Bella and wrapped his large hands around her tiny hips locking her in place and lifted his hips, grinding his now swollen erection into her heat. Bella's hands landed on his pecs, and her head tilted back, a moan escaping her lips. _

"_Missed you too, Bells."_

_Jake added a swirl to his hips every time he would grind up into her. With every push and swirl from Jake Bella's fingernails would dig a little further into his chest spurring him on. When Bella started pushing herself down into him when he would push up, Jake almost went into a frenzy. He wanted so badly to flip her over and pound into her, but he couldn't do that, he was worried that he would hurt the babies. Bella was barely out of her first trimester and even though Jake was there to hear the doctor tell them both it was ok to have sex Jake was still careful with her, not that he never had been rough, although sometimes his wolf screamed at him to just take its mate pummel her, show her that she was his and his alone._

_Bella leaned forward pushing harder into Jake's erection. Dipping her head Bella captured his nipple in her mouth causing Jake to jerk forward. "Damn Bells, you know what that does to me," Jake said while tightening his grip on her hips. Pushing his head back into the pillows he prayed that she would just let him take her already, his thought process was halted when he felt her juices coating his throbbing shaft. Smiling to himself Jake sped up the swirling of his hips, Bella wasn't wearing underwear and if he could just get that little thin stitch of fabric out of the way he could bury himself within her._

_Bella was working his nipple in her mouth and almost gasped out when she felt his hot smooth skin touch her heat. Jake's hips picked up their pace, Bella knew what he was doing and slowly slid her hands between their bodies. Once her fingers made contact with his wet head Bella slowly drug her palm over his now wet shaft, turning her hand over she quickly moved the fabric of her shorts to the side, giving Jake just what he was wanting. Pulling his hips back and with the help of Bella's hand Jake slowly thrust forward sinking himself deep within her folds. _

_The vibration from Bella's moan on Jakes nipple made him hot, quickly working his hips while Bella resumed swirling her hips against his; Jake knew he wasn't going to last long and from the wetness of Bella and the contracting of her walls he knew that she wasn't going to last long either, it had been seven days since they had last been together. _

_Rubbing his hand over Bella's ass and down her hip, Jake snaked his hand around to Bella's center and began to rub her clit furiously, he could feel his sac start to tighten knowing he was drawing closer Jake pinched Bella's clit, causing her to grind herself into him once more, instantly her walls tightened around him and they both fell over the edge together. Bella completely flattened herself against his chest, her hot sweaty cheek now resting on his cheek. Running his hands up and down her back Bella knew it was his way of asking if she was ok. _

"_So good, Jake." _

_With those words Jake's hands stopped rubbing her back and she felt him kissing the top of her hair. "Love you, Bells."_

_Once their hearts stopped racing Bella rolled off of Jake and sat at the side of the bed trying to decide if her legs were going to be able to carry her to the bathroom. Jake rolled off his side walked around to hers hooking his hands behind her back and under his knees and swiftly lifted her causing Bella to squeak in surprise._

_Carrying Bella across the room Jake slowly opened the door, stuck his head out, and smiled down at her. "Billy's out on the porch talking to Mrs. Hart" He walked slowly out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. Bella couldn't help but curl into Jake, he may have been confident that Billy wouldn't catch them walking to the bathroom both completely naked, but Bella wasn't._

_Once in the bathroom Jake sat Bella on the counter and turned on the shower. Dropping a kiss to her forehead, Jake walked out of the bathroom, Bella admiring his naked ass along the way. When he came back in Bella peeked out of the curtain and found clothes and towels for the both of them. Jake stepped into the back of the shower and slowly began rubbing the soap into a lather. Slowly washing Bella's back and reaching around from behind he took care not to squeeze her breasts too hard because they had been sore since finding out she was pregnant. Bella felt Jake's erection pressing into her back, turning around she took his length into her palm and slowly started to pump. Bella could feel the water running down her back and over her breasts, Jake bent over kissing the juncture between her neck and shoulder. Pulling her legs up around his waist Jake bent his knees forward and once again he was in her. Bella's moan was loud and Jake's hand slid over her mouth. _

"_Shhh, Bella. We have to be quite or they are going to hear us." Another pump of his hips, another moan and Jake's hand clutched around her mouth with more force. _

It was then that Bella took note: the hand quieting her moans wasn't warm, and her eyes flew open; she gasped, these eyes did not hold the dark pools that belonged to Jake, but the red-rimmed golden ones…of Edward.

Pushing against his chest, Bella realized that they were running. Looking over Edward's shoulder, she could see the red blur behind them. Clutching the front of Edward's shirt she noticed that it was blood-stained, and ripped. The speed was making her dizzy but she wasn't going to allow herself to pass out.

"They're coming, Edward," Bella said in an almost defeated whisper.

"She won't catch us, Bella, I'm faster than her, remember." Edward said while keeping pace through woods.

Once again, Bella looked over her shoulder and saw something that frightened her more than the red blur of before- Victoria had stopped; as they grew further and further away from her Bella could barely make out a smile forming on her lips. She opened her mouth to tell Edward just that, when the air was knocked from her lungs- everything happened so fast. Bella's body hit the ground, mud and leaves coating her mouth, but worst of all she felt a crack as her arm connected with a tree while skidding across the ground.

Spitting the mud and leaves out of her mouth, Bella curled onto her side, clutching her now broken wrist. She couldn't move and couldn't see anything but a mound of dirt and trees in the distance in front of her. Behind her, Bella could hear hissing and marble connecting over and over again until two feet appeared in her line of sight. Once glimpse at the heeled boots and Bella knew that it was Victoria. Squeezing her eyes shut in that moment Bella knew: she was as good as dead.

Victoria slowly made her way over to Bella laying on the ground, she squatted down in front of her, looking over her body; blood was slowly trickling out of the side of Bella's wrist. Grabbing her by the hair Victoria jerked Bella's head backward causing her to cry out. All sound in the woods stopped. Edward was standing some fifty feet away with one of Victoria's newer recruit's heads in a lock, his eyes met Victoria's and he saw that she was holding Bella, he instantly dropped his arms from around the newborn's neck.

"Go," was all Victoria said the newborn was gone; it was just the three of them.

Pulling on Bella's hair once more she pulled her to her feet, pulling clumps of Bella's hair out in the process. She stood on wobbly legs and Edward drew near.

Victoria was taller than Bella but not by much, so Bella was slumped over when she began to speak; Bella struggled to keep her footing. Victoria was jerking her head back and forth.

"What did I tell you, Eddie?" Victoria spat out. "I don't remember telling you that it was okay for you to leave, to be free, or am I mistaken?"

"Drop her; she had nothing to do with this. I took her while she was sleeping" Edward growled out, still slowly making his way back to Victoria.

"If you come any closer I will snap her neck like a twig" Victoria made it a point to jerk Bella's head to the right harder causing her to drop her broken wrist and grab at her hair while screaming out in agony.

Edward's eyes instantly went to Bella's wrist, where a bone was just barely sticking out of the skin; blood was trickling slowly down her pinkie finger, pausing for a moment before dripping off the tip and into the leaves.

"See something you like, Eddie?"

Edward's eyes shot up to meet Victoria's. "Release her now!"

Victoria's laugh was enough to cause Edward to shift forward slightly. "Make that movie, Eddie, and her death is going to be on your hands…as if it isn't already." Edwards was frozen in his place.

"What did I tell you would happen if any of you tried to escape? Didn't I warn you that someone would die if you left?"

Bella couldn't help the sob that escaped her lips, bringing Victoria out of her confrontation with Edward. "Oh, how could I forget about you, pet? You fear for your children's safety, do you? They are at the top of my list."

"No! No, please, don't hurt my children!" Bella was fighting Victoria's hand in her hair with everything she had, which wasn't much because of the pain shooting through her other wrist.

With a flick of her hand Bella was on her back on the forest floor. Victoria hovered over her, now almost nose to nose with Bella.

"Oh I have plans for those mutts, and you are going to watch to every little thing I do to them as long as Edward here has the control he likes to think he has." With that Victoria jerked Bella's broken arm up and latched her mouth around the seeping wound.

Screaming out in agony Bella tried to pull her hand free from Victoria's grasp but stopped fighting when she felt her pulling her blood from her body. Looking up, still attached to Bella's wrist, Victoria winked and then bit into Bella's wrist.

Edward lunged forward with every intention of ripping Victoria's head off. Just as she was within his reach he was pushed back and smashed into a tree, causing it to snap in half, barely missing Bella lying on the ground writhing in pain. He rolled to his knees and crawled over to her. Looking around he couldn't see Victoria but he knew that she was still there. Casting a glance back at Bella his eyes met hers and he could barely make out the word 'please' that she whispered at him.

How was it that this pain was worse? The second that Victoria sunk her teeth into Bella's flesh a cold burn like Bella had never felt worked its way through her. When James bit her it was hot, it felt like Bella's body was going to combust from the heat and sting of the venom working its way through her wrist, but this pain- it was worse, so much worse.

This pain was slow, much slower than the pain of James's venom, and freezing. Bella felt like she was burning alive as his venom raced through her body, but Victoria's was slow-moving, like it had a purpose, as if it wasn't there to turn her instantly nor killing everything about her; no this pain was here to torture her- make her cry out in agony as it slowly froze her to death. She wondered as the venom slowly worked down to the tips of her fingers and up her arm if there was a way Victoria made it this way or if every vampire bite was different. She couldn't remember what Edward's lifesaving bite felt like.

Opening her eyes when she felt an almost warm hand on her head, looking into the eyes of Edward all she could do was whisper 'please'. Her eyes closed once more; praying he knew what she was asking of him, pictures quickly exploded in her vision. Jake in the clearing the day they made love for the first time, the vision of them in the shower that she wasn't able to finish as this terrible day had started, her kids so small and bundled in the hospital, the smile on Angela and Embry's faces the day after their imprint, Charlie and Billy shouting at the TV.

The pictures faded as soon as they came, warm lips pressing to her wrist made her smile- she was thinking Jake had found her, that he was saving her. But when her eyes opened in anticipation of meeting his dark loving pools, they met the hungry eyes of a thirsty monster instead; once again she began to struggle.

Bringing her good hand around, shoving at his face, she was pushing as hard as she could kicking her legs into the air, struggling to get his mouth off of her so she could live. The cold burn was receding at a much more rapid pace she could feel the warmth creeping down her shoulder and then her elbow, wrist, and fingers, but as she fought she could feel the tingling in her body starting to affect her: _too much he was taking too much! _He wasn't saving her_, _he was feeding off her now.

Bella opened her mouth to scream to yell at him that she needed him to stop or he was going to kill her, all that came out was a raspy wheezing noise. She struggled even more against him, trying to dig her nails in to the stone that was his face. Slapping at him, only to have more pain brought to her good hand, and just when she thought she wasn't going to be able to fight anymore she felt water hit her face and slide into the opening of her mouth; the small amount of water was enough to coat her throat, just enough for her to cry out for him to stop.

Edward removed his lips from Bella's wrist, instantly letting it fall to the forest floor, fearing that he had killed her; his fingers shot to the pulse point in her neck, instantly bruising it; as he searched for a pulse, he could hear Victoria's thoughts ringing in his mind as she walked out of the trees behind him. Glaring over his shoulder he saw Victoria and of course she was smiling that sinister smile, a sick gleam in her eye at the sight before her.

"Why Edward, I think you may have killed her, whatever will you do now?"

"Kill you as I have nothing else to live for," he said, once again lunging at her. Blurring out of Edward's grasp Victoria spoke again; "Ahh but you don't want the lives of your family…her family, on your dead hands, do you?"

Edwards's next words were frozen in his throat as he heard a heaving cry from Bella behind him. Edward was back at Bella's side cradling her head in his hands. Rubbing his hand through her blood-matted bangs he bent down whispering to her that he was there and he just needed for her to wake up.

When a growl ripped through his lips Bella's eyes shot wide in fear that he was once again going to bite her, she was groggy and her vision was cloudy but she saw that Edward wasn't looking at her over his shoulder, but at the redhead standing not far from them.

"That is not going to happen" Edward yelled while quickly pulling Bella into his arms and into a standing position. "I won't do that to her, not again."

Victoria's head was cocked to the right in thought, at the sight of his anger upon reading her thoughts she knew, that, yes, this was her new plan and there was nothing…well there was something he could do about it but, would he?

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that, Edward, why don't you ask your pet what she thinks, or maybe even what she wants. She may have changed her mind."

"I told you I refuse to do that again; twice is enough" Edward voice cracked and Bella couldn't help but wonder exactly what he was talking about. However, she couldn't think much about it as, once again, everything was lost to Bella, as her head fell back and she passed out.

_Warmth_. Bella felt it on her fingertips and forehead. Squeezing her eyes together while moving her head to the side she decided that she could slowly open them. When her eyes were fully open and the haziness had passed Bella saw a set of grey-blue eyes that she hadn't seen in some time. _Thomas. _Bella couldn't help but wonder what he was doing there, but as her eyes scanned down his body to the bed she noticed that her wrist was in a brace… Wait, a brace? Was everything that had happened to her a dream she couldn't be sure of? She heard a shuffle across the room. Edward was standing in the corner, looking broken and a bit disheveled, his bloody shirt was now caked in mud, he had mud caked in his hair too, causing it to fall across his forehead and almost in his eyes.

Clearing her throat Bella tried to speak, but thought better of it when just opening her mouth made her wince. Instead she held her good hand, if you could call it that. up to Edward and moved her finger in a 'come here' motion. When Edward shook his head no and backed further into the corner she looked back at Thomas who now seemed ashen and had a slight bead of sweat on his upper lip.

Mouthing _What _to Thomas, Bella plead with her eyes for him to tell her what Edward's problem was. Casting a glance toward the corner Thomas quickly nodded his head yes and bent down so that he was eye to eye with Bella.

"I think," another glance in Edward's direction, "_We_ think it would be best if he stayed as far from you as possible, right now, Bella, he's….. it's very hard for him to control himself at the moment. Surely you understand?"

Whipping her head to the side, Bella lifted her hand once again turning it into a fist and slammed it back down on the bed shooting her best pissed-off glare in Edward's direction, to which he shook his head once again. Bella started kicking her feet, trying to get the covers off. When she choked out a sob, arching her back off the bed from the pain shooting through her entire body, Edward was by her bed in the next second.

Eyes the color of molten lava met her tired chocolate pools, Bella gasped and shuffled as far back in the bed as she could without falling off. Gone was any hint of amber his eyes once held, even the red-rimmed amber eyes weren't nearly as startling as the ones she was met with. It wasn't a dream, everything that had happened before was real; e_verything_.

Scrambling to a sitting position, pulling the covers up to her chin, Bella began to rock her body back and forth, trying to decode the screaming that was going on within her head. Edward had did what she asked: he had saved her, but this time he didn't have Carlisle there to tell him to stop, to stay strong, he almost killed her this time. She could have lost it all, because of him; she **was **losing it all because of him. Before Bella's thoughts could turn ugly about the former love of her life his once melodic voice broke her out of her trance.

"I know what you must think of me right now, Bella, but I couldn't…I wanted… I tried…" Edward was at a loss for words, his sentence unfinished as he saw her start to tremble at just the sound of his voice.

Bella's head snapped towards Thomas as he loudly clear his throat. "He stopped, Bella, that's why you are still here. He stopped a little too late, but he did stop. She brought me back because you lost…he took too much blood," Thomas's eyes shot in Edward's direction, as he continued to speak. "Your wrist had a severe break- a bone was sticking out of the skin, that's why you have a brace on, so don't move it too much… You really should have pins and a cast, but that's what she told me to do, so I did it."

Thomas walked over to the sink in the corner and brought back a glass filled with cloudy water, and shoved it into Bella's good hand. "Drink" he said. Bella did, and after two glasses of water and a lot of throat clearing she spoke in a raspy voice.

"Why did she bring you back, why did she have you fix me again?"

Edward was the next to speak. "She has a plan, a new one, and if I would have known I wouldn't have saved you, Bella, because I think…I know you'd be better off."

Tears were streaming down Bella's cheeks at the thought of Edward letting her die or be turned. "The plan?"

Edward gritted his teeth, "She wants me to kill you, Bella." With widened eyes Bella curled further into herself shaking her head no, and hurt flicked across Edward's features before he continued "I'll try, love, I promise I will, but I don't know if I'll be able to do it, not after…last week."

"Last week? The Plan?"

"You were out almost a week, Bella, you really almost didn't make it, there was hardly enough blood in your system to keep you going. The only reason you are still here is because-"

"-because _she_ is vile" Edward finished Thomas's sentence.

"When she saw me suck the venom out of your hand it just came to her, Bella, she's going to bite you again and she's going to test what strength I have left, because she knows you want to live." Edward finished, while clenching his hands and walking away.

"I can't be close to you right now, it's taking too much, your blood, Bella, and it's too much I forgot what it was like."

"You want to live, right?" Edward asked with a pleading look on his face. Weather it was him pleading for her to say yes, or pleading for her to say no to end his own pain, Bella wasn't sure.

"Yes, I want to live, we can do this, Edward, when is she going to do it?"

"I don't know, I can't hear her again."

"What do you mean again, I thought you couldn't read her at all?"

"I could, for a while in the woods, just long enough to hear her thinking about what was happening, and her new plan, it was like she wanted me to hear it so I did."

Edward wasn't able to read Victoria when she came into Bella's room a week later with Riley in tow, wasn't able to read Riley even as he held Edward's head in a headlock and made him watch Victoria bite Bella's good wrist.

He could however hear her as once again Bella begged Edward to make it stop; he could hear the happiness in her head as Edward once again struggled to stop when he could no longer taste the venom more than the blood itself. It was all Edward could do to block out her voice and jerk his blood-stained lips from Bella's wrist as she once again almost lay dead on the floor…

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_**Do you want to scream or slap me now? Do it in a review, if you never review another chapter of this story please do this one, I've been thinking about how people are going to react.**_

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	12. Chapter 10

_**AN: Hey everyone just wanted to say first off that I'm sorry for how long it took for me to get this one out to you but I have reasons. The typhoid struck my house, then an ice storm, I fell on said ice nearly breaking my ass, then my three year old got something we found out today that she has a double ear infection. I've been trying I swear. Seeing as how I felt so bad for how long it took me to update I am giving you a monster, well for me. This is the longest one I have written so far. As always I want to thank everyone on for reading reviewing and putting me on your alerts, and my wicked awesome beta Taylor'sLizzie, she got this back to me in no time.**_

**Chapter 10**

Alice's head hurt; she couldn't remember the last time that had happened to her. She had been trying, for months now, to see any sign of Edward, but she kept coming up with nothing.

Jasper watched her from across the room, feeling the frustration oozing off of her in waves; he, too, was frustrated, because there was no way that he could help her. He knew all along what she had been doing: Alice would hunt, alone, she would run, out into the woods, stand, and then she would try and force herself to _see_ something. But she always came up with nothing, no sign of Edward. He hadn't contacted her in over a year and that was odd, for him. When he had forced the family to leave Bella, Edward was merely a shell of who he once was.

After everything that had happened, when they moved to Vermont, Edward went to Alice one day, and told her that he had to leave. Knowing this already, Alice agreed, that if it was something he felt he needed to do, she would support him, but only if he stayed in contact with them, or at least her.

Edward had kept up with his promise: he had called, every now and then; neither side never went any longer than three months without any contact.

One morning, Alice told the family that she once again was going to go hunt, and asked that she be left alone. Jasper, growing worried about his wife, agreed, but followed her at a far enough distance that he thought she would not sense him.

Standing in the middle of the woods by a stream, Jasper could see Alice's tiny hands form into fists, her body would tense and relax, showing signs that she was working as hard as she could to make a vision come to her, but to no avail; nothing happened. Finally, Alice slowly turned on her heal and huffed.

"I know you're there, Jazz. You can come out now."

Knowing he was caught, Jasper slowly inched out from behind the boulder he'd been crouching behind. Striding slowly toward Alice, he could see the tears that would never fall glistening in her honey eyes; he could feel the anger, the disappointment and the frustration radiating off of her. He sent her calming and reassuring waves, letting his wife know that it was alright.

Alice sighed, her shoulders slumping in a very unlike Alice-fashion as she stood waiting for him to slowly make his way to her. Once Jasper got to the stream he crouched down ready to pounce over it when Alice's eyes went wide and blank; panic rolled off her in waves so heavy, Jasper thought he might stumble over.

No longer worried about her reaction about whether or not the designer clothes she bought him would get ruined, he ran through the water and grabbed Alice in his arms just as the vision ended; it was a quick one, but enough to keep Alice in her panicked state along with a feeling of disbelief.

"Alice, darlin', tell me what you saw. What was it?"

Alice was gaping like a fish; Jasper grew impatient with worry and as gentle as he could he shook her. Alice's eyes snapped to his. "Bella… She's…. She's with Edward, I don't know where, a forest, somewhere, but not Forks… He…. He was biting her wrist, draining her, Jazz."

Although Jasper knew Alice was capable, he grabbed her up in his arms and darted quickly through the forest back to the Cullen house, where Alice then let the family know of her vision of Edward and what he was doing.

Esme's hands where placed over the O that was frozen on her face, while Emmett seethed in a corner - _how could he? _seemed to be the expression on his larger brother's face_._ Rosalie, meanwhile, stood abruptly and stomped out of the room, and Carlisle tried to reassure his family that Alice's visions were subjective, but even as he spoke the words, Jasper could feel the tinge of disappointment and unease coming off of the patriarch vampire.

Alice was sitting in the middle of it all, in the midst of a pile of her designer clothes, basking in the smell of them; it was normally calming to Alice to just sit and take in the smell of the expensive fabric, but Jasper could tell that it wasn't working. Alice couldn't stop replaying the vision in her mind, hoping that something, anything from the forest would alert her to Edward's location. The forest was so dense, however, that she couldn't make out anything specific.

Leaning up against the wall, Alice drew in a ragged breath; she needed to hunt. She hadn't hunted since the vision because she wanted to be close to the family in case the next one came that would allow her more information as to exactly where he was. Closing her eyes, once more playing through the vision yet again, Alice gasped when the old vision abruptly changed. Bella was lying on a stone floor with two chains binding her feet to a wall. Edward's lips were pressed to her wrist yet again. She could see Bella's wide and pleading eyes, the second Edward tore his lips from Bella's wrist the vision had ended.

Jumping to her feet, Alice was locked in place by the firm grip of Jasper and soon she was calm. Looking around the large closet Alice's eyes met the worried expression of everyone in her family. Carlisle was holding Esme as she waited for the news of the vision, while Rosalie and Emmett were standing shoulder to shoulder, the hand Emmett didn't have laced with Rosalie's was clenched into a fist.

"He was doing it again," Alice said, her voice cracking.

"She was lying on a stone floor bound to a wall, and he was biting her wrist again. I could see her eyes, she's so scared." Alice cried, while covering her face with her hands.

"I'm going to kill him!" Rosalie muttered and stomped out of the room. Seconds later, the sounds of squealing tires on pavement met their ears.

"Why would he do this?" Esme asked, looking into Carlisle's sad eyes for an answer. "He loves her, how could he do this to her, let his hunger get the best of him? I know it was hard for him but to torture her that way, how could he?" Esme sobbed into Carlisle's chest.

For the first time in a long time, Carlisle had no words. He drew Esme further into his chest, then finally he picked her up and made his way out of the closet and to their room. Carlisle didn't know how Edward could do what he was doing to Bella, but he hoped that _his_ son would come to his senses and stop, until then all they could do was wait for Alice's next vision.

Jasper kissed Alice on the head as he and the rest of the Cullens minus Emmett made their way downstairs and out into the night to hunt; at least, that is what they had told Alice, but in reality, they had other plans that needed to be taken care of. Emmett, though, hadn't left the closet; he was sitting with his ankles crossed against the opposite wall. Looking over at Alice, Emmett frowned. He had never seen his sister in such a way. Over the course of eight months Alice had gone from a light and bubbly pixie to a withdrawn, darkened shadow of herself. Emmett wondered if this was what she had looked like when she was human, locked in the asylum. Her hair was no longer styled, instead it hung in her face and was flat and dirty-looking, there was dirt under her nails from the last hunt that both he and Jasper had forced upon her. What caught Emmett's attention the most, however, was her clothes. Alice, self-proclaimed fashion queen extraordinaire, was wearing a faded and ripped pair of jeans, no shoes, and one of Jasper's faded concert tees: Lynyrd Skynyrd, to be exact; Emmett almost snorted at the memory of that concert. Jasper had nearly lost it, and more than once.

As Emmett sat watching Alice, he wondered what the plan of attack was going to be; _he_ would of course be filled in when the family was back from their "hunt". There was no doubt that the past few months had taken a toll on Alice, he could see that; at least once a month, sometimes more, Alice would cry out and have yet another vision of Edward biting Bella's wrist. One such memory made Emmett punch a wall, when Alice told the family about it. Apparently, Bella had a brace on her wrist and, in the vision, Alice could see Edward biting through the brace, ripping it from Bella's wrist, and once again feeding off of her.

Though the visions came regularly, now, and Alice seemed to have grown more and more traumatized by them and her faith in Edward was gone, she had told Emmett, just a month ago, that she was glad she could never see Edward's face; she didn't want to see his blood-red eyes. The visions never gave them any information, either; they were always in the stone room, with Bella always lying on the wet, dirty floor.

Movement caught Emmett's eye, and he cast a glance from his lap to Alice. Her body was going stiff and he knew that she was having yet another vision. This one, though, shocked him: while Alice normally would grow stiff, sit with her eyes wide and mouth agape, until the vision ended, Alice's fists were balled tight, now, her nails grinding against her marble palms, her body was shaking. Emmett flew to her side, grabbing her by the arms, he could hear the crunching of her teeth, her eyes were going from wide as saucers to slits; the vision wasn't stopping anytime soon.

The shaking got worse, so much that Emmett could hear the perfume bottles on the island in the room start to rattle. Gripping her tighter, Emmett was shocked at the force he was having to use just to contain the shaking from her body; he was getting worried, but he didn't want to let her go to make a call to Jasper to tell him to get his ass back to the house. He held onto her for a few seconds more before a piercing wail ripped through the room; that was enough for Emmett. At vampire speed Emmett dropped his arms, dug his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, but before his finger could press the number two on his phone it was smacked out of his hand and he was pulled to his feet, wincing when he felt the slight popping sound of his arm being nearly ripped away from his body.

Alice pulled Emmett forward and down the stairs. His feet were digging into the floor, breaking the door jam on his way out of the room; Emmett would never admit it to anyone, but the state Alice was in and the strength she was using to pull him along, scared him. Jerking his arm once more Alice flew down the stairs, ripping the door to the garage off its hinges. Reaching for the door handle to the silver jeep, Alice flung herself into the driver's seat, screeching out to Emmett to get in. Running around the jeep, Emmett jumped in and slammed his door.

"Where is he?" Emmett yelled.

"Where is she? _She_, Emmett," Alice screeched while peeling out of the garage, not bothering to wait for the door to lift all the way.

"She…who are you talking about? Bella?" Emmett said holding on to the 'oh shit' handle located on the dash in front of him as the tires of the jeep skipped across the pavement as Alice made the turn onto the highway.

"Victoria," Alice seethed, glancing sideways at Emmett.

"What does Victoria have to do with this, Alice? What the hell is going on with you?" Emmett could hear the metal groaning under his hands; letting go of the handle on the dash, he looked into Alice's eyes. They were wild, black as tar, the black from her pupils growing so that it over her entire eye. Shocked, Emmett began to fumble through his pocket to call Carlisle; he came up empty. Alice had slapped his phone out of his hand in the closet.

"It wasn't Edward. At least, I don't think it was; it's been Victoria, all along. I could see her, Emmett, she…. I can't…. you don't even want to know what she did to Bella. Edward lost it, and everything disappeared. We have to find them."

"How the hell are you going to do that, Alice? We need to go back!"

"We're going to the airport; Edward was running up the coast of Peru when I last heard from him, he was tracking Victoria, he said that he was stopping, he was going back to Forks to get Bella."

Emmett's eyes grew wide and anger flowed through him. "Why the hell didn't you tell anyone, Alice, he was going back to get Bella, we could have went back?"

"I didn't tell anyone because he told me not to, Emmett!" Alice bit out.

"You don't know what Bella was like when Edward left, I do. I don't think she would have taken him coming back very well and I didn't…_we_ didn't want to get the family's hopes up."

Alice slammed the car in park making Emmett lurch forward, almost smacking his head into his windshield; before he could get the door open, Alice was running at an almost unconvincing human pace across the parking lot. Emmett followed. Making her way into the airport, Alice went to the closest ticket counter telling the agent where she wanted to go and demanded the quickest route to get there.

After twenty minutes, Alice and Emmett were boarding a Delta flight to Detroit, it would take them two hours to get there, with an hour layover, from there they would take the six hour flight to Puerto Vallarta and go from there. Alice hoped that would be close enough for them to find a way to track Edward down. Sitting down in the Economy Class seat, Alice began to fidget, the flight wasn't that full as it was the middle of the night, but she couldn't wait for the plane to take off already. Emmett grabbed her hand to calm her; he needed the comfort… Emmett hated planes.

Whispering too low for human ears, Emmett told Alice that they needed to call Jasper as soon as they landed, because he was definitely going to be freaking out. Alice agreed, but she also told Emmett that when they talked to him they had to make it clear that he couldn't come with them. Emmett cocked his head to the side wondering why Alice wouldn't want her husband to come with them. Telling him she would let him know later she prepared for the flight.

Jasper jerked his phone out of his pocket; the shrill ring broke him out of his fit of rage. When the family arrived home to find the garage door nearly ripped off, along with part of the wooden floor buckled in the hall and Alice's closet a wreck they knew something terrible had happened.

"What?" Jasper screamed into the receiver, as soon as the call picked up.

"Jazz, it's me, you need to calm down." Jasper's anger flowed out of him as quickly as it came at the sound of her voice.

Still gripping the phone tightly, Jasper prepared himself for her next words. "I had a vision, Jazz, it was a bad one. I don't want to get into it now, but I need you to stay with Carlisle and Esme. Edward isn't doing it, it's Victoria. I think…I _know_ she has them both."

The phone in Jasper's hand snapped in two, within seconds the house phone rang. Rose had returned earlier, and Jasper watched as she darted into Carlisle's office. "Alice it's me, Rose, Emmett's with you right, is he's ok?"

Rose heard his rumbling and knew Emmett was alright, but she wanted to hear the words. "He's with me, Rose. We are going to find Edward, and you can't let Jazz come find me. You have to talk to Esme and Carlisle and keep him there."

"Why is that, Alice?" Both Rose and Emmett asked in unison.

"I can't tell you right now, Rose. I will, though, I promise I will, just not now." Rose looked over her shoulder to see Jasper's eyes boring into her back while Esme and Carlisle stood in the doorway, as anxious and confused as Jasper. Holding the phone out to Jasper while raising an eyebrow she waited for him to take it.

"When will you be back?" Jasper whispered into the phone while pinching the bridge of his nose. He heard cars in the distance, tires on concrete, but he couldn't place anything.

"We'll be back when we find them, or we'll call if we need help. Love you, Jazz, and Emmett loves Rose too." _Click._

Alice turned around to see Emmett leaning up against a pillar in the parking garage with a smirk on his face. "You know that didn't end well, don't you? He's probably tearing the house apart right now."

"I do, but he can't come with us, Emmett, and neither can Rose. I think she's the only one there that will actually be able to stop him. Esme will give into him and Carlisle will fight him at first but he'll give in too, Jasper is good at convincing him in times like these."

"So you gonna tell me about that vision or what, I'd like to know what we're getting into."

Looking down at her watch Alice sighed, and leaned against the concrete pillar telling Emmett about her vision. Once done with the story and helping Emmett regain control of himself he looked over at Alice and nodded. "It's better he didn't come." With a sad look on her face Alice nodded her head and they made their way back into the Detroit airport, with just enough time to board their next flight.

Stepping off the plane in Puerto Vallarta, Alice and Emmett had to find a hotel and quick as possible as the sun was already rising. Hailing a cab Alice ordered the cabby to take them to the nearest hotel.

Pulling into a shabby looking hotel Alice threw some money at the cabby and got out, with Emmett following close behind. Making their way into the hotel Emmett grabbed Alice's hand, causing her to tense; he explained his actions to her quickly, in a whispered breath.

"We're a couple, Alice. It's going to look weird enough, a couple of Americans coming in at the ass-crack of dawn, with no luggage and needing a room, don't you think?"

Once at the counter, the clerk looked up at Emmett, a lazy smile on her face. A second later, she did a double take, the lazy smile turned to a full-out grin, and both Alice and Emmett could hear her heart pick up. Squeezing Alice's hand Emmett laid on the charm, nice and thick, telling the clerk that their bags were lost at the airport and that they didn't have anything with them but the clothes on their backs. Shooting the clerk a flirty wink she blushed and quickly, while shooting daggers at Alice, got them one of their "nicest" rooms. Handing Emmett the key while batting her eyelashes, the clerk made sure to let her fingers graze the side of his thumb; this caused Emmett to chuckle low enough so that only Alice could hear, and his chuckling got louder when the clerk's heart skipped a beat.

"Rose is going to kill you when we get back," Alice said, while making their way to the room. Emmett looked at Alice with horror written all over his face.

"Hey, I only did it to get us this fancy room," he said, while opening the door to said room.

Both of them walked in, looked around, and sighed. If this was the _best_ room, they were worried when it came to what a regular room would look like.

"Ok, so it's not like we are going to be here very long, hopefully, but we need to make some kind of plan. We're going to have to hunt tonight and find a store so we can get a phone and a laptop. That way we can keep in touch with…."

Alice's words stuck in her throat, as she was hit with another vision. This one was quick, normal for Alice, and when she snapped out of the trace, she finished. "As soon as it gets dark we need to get a computer and a phone. I saw a landmark, we need to find it, figure out where it is."

The rest of the day was spent with Alice pacing back and forth counting minutes until it was dark enough for them to leave the hotel. Emmett had made an attempt to get on the computer in the lobby, but that was squashed when the clerk wouldn't leave him alone.

As soon as the sun set Alice set out to find the shop the clerk had told her would have a computer and possibly a phone. Emmett was sitting on the bed when Alice burst back into the room, the laptop already ripped from the box, cord in hand; Alice plugged it into the wall and turned it on. Picking up the phone she made the call to Carlisle telling him where they were and what she saw in her most recent vision. Carlisle wrote everything down that Alice had said, and told her that he would have Jasper call her as soon as he and Rose got back from their hunt. Leaning forward in the chair, Alice's fingers flew across the keys on a Google search for the landmark that she saw in her vision. She would find out where he was; they had to, for their brother's sake, but mostly for Bella.

**

* * *

Bella was lying on the stone floor, cold and scared. For months she had been tortured by Victoria, she would come in her room all hours of the night, bite her wrist while Riley was holding Edward back, and sit and watch as Edward would try and control the bloodlust coursing through him. Looking through the curtain of her matted hair she saw Edward sitting in the corner, arms around his knees seeming to look right through her. Since the first night months ago, Edward seemed to distance himself as far from Bella as he possibly could; seeing as how small the dark, dank room was, it wasn't far, but he never met her eyes anymore and Bella almost felt relieved by that.**

The turning point for her and Edward was after another night of Victoria's torture. Once again Edward had sucked the freezing venom from Bella's wrist and she had yet again made it through; Bella decided that they needed to fight back in any way that they could; she was willing to make the sacrifice, but would he? After waking, Bella slowly crawled to the corner of the room where Edward sat, she reached her hand out so that she could touch his knee.

Edward flinched back, curling more into himself. Drawing near she tapped his knee and waited for him to look at her. When his now red eyes met her heavy ones she moved her finger in a circle asking him if Victoria or Riley were around. Edward listened and when he could only hear the beating of her heart and Thomas's somewhere down the hall he shook his head no. Bella made her way closer to Edward and whispered to him that she had a plan, a way to keep things in their favor.

Edward was puzzled, and let Bella know that he was. Her breath was ragged, as she inhaled, and in a whoosh of breath the words left her mouth. 'Youaregoingtofeedoffme.' Edward's eyes grew dark, his body tense, wanting her to clarify. Edward waited, asking her to repeat herself and so she did, this time with an explanation of exactly what she meant. When Bella told Edward of her plans to find a way to cut herself and let him feed off her blood, he was outraged, whisper-yelling at her that it was a stupid, irresponsible thing for her to even consider; it was when she dug her fingernail into the fresh bite mark and blood coated it that Edward felt the bloodlust again. Bella had made her point, but would it really work?

Because neither was sure of the assuredness of her plans, they talked through the night, Bella telling Edward that she thought that it would; after all, he once grew used to the smell of her blood, how could he not grow used to the taste of it as well.

For the next two weeks, Bella would dig into her wrist, letting her blood drip into one of the few dirty dishes left in her room, and Edward would drink. His eyes grew black as he did so, the first couple of times Edward had tasted her blood he almost let the bloodlust take over and control him; Bella was sitting across the room, her now bleeding wrist wrapped as tight as she could get it in the dirty blankets. Whispering to him over and over that he needed to control himself, that she knew that he could do it. Gripping the stone wall Edward's fingers dug into the mortar, but he held still, fighting the need to consume every last drop of her blood. He wasn't convinced that this was actually going to work until the day came when Victoria appeared in the room. Bella fought as she always did, Edward tried to free himself from Riley's grip, but it seemed the newborn strength had yet to leave him.

Once Riley let go of him he was latching onto Bella's wrist at once, and even though the need to suck her dry was still there Edward was able to control himself just enough so that this time Bella didn't pass out; she was dizzy, yes, but she didn't pass out.

That was months ago, and the more Bella let Edward feed off her blood, willingly and unwillingly, he became stronger, but he also grew more and more distant towards Bella. He was turning into the monster he always knew he would and Edward often wondered if they ever got out of this alive if he would even be able to survive feeding off animals again, or if he was a lost cause.

Victoria was growing more and more angry everyday. She had noticed Edward's control was no longer slipping, she had really hoped that in an attempt to save her life he would end up killing her. She had decided that if that were to happen she would let him live. But he wasn't living up to her expectations. She had to form a new plan and soon, for this game was growing old. Maybe she needed to just stop playing the game all together; get it over with kill the girl while Riley made Edward watch and then kill him as well. It would never bring James back, but it would make her feel at least a little bit better knowing the two that played the biggest part in his death were no longer living, or were at least living in hell for all eternity.

The weeks had turned into months and although Edward's control was better Victoria still had fun biting Bella and watching her burn, but she had told Riley that she had grown tired of the game and that she had a new plan, one that was fool-proof; the game was ending, and it was ending tonight.

Bella was sitting on the stone floor waiting as always; Victoria had stopped sending food into her room as often as she used to. Bella was cold, dirty, weak and hungry- more hungry than she had ever been -and the fight in her was almost gone; it had been too long. Not wanting to feel the extreme cold anymore, Bella made her way over to Edward and pressed her back against his legs. He flinched when her body made contact with his, but he made no other sign of moving away.

Bella's body was confusing her, she would often have dreams but they were no longer of Jake, these dreams seemed so real that they often took Bella off guard when she would wake up from them. Her body was so cold lately as well, so cold in fact that the contact with Edward's skin didn't make her shiver anymore; his skin no longer held the chill that it once had. Now, his skin nearly felt like hers and on some days he felt warm to her. It was a surprise to both her and Thomas when the last couple of times she had been bitten a bandage wasn't necessary, the blood that would once seep out of the wound even after Edward had sealed it was no longer there. Thomas would still bandage her wrist and by the next time Victoria would make an appearance the bite mark would be virtually non-existent. Bella wasn't sure if it was because Victoria was just waiting longer between her tortures, if she wasn't biting her as deep or if it was because Edward wasn't taking as much from her as he once was.

Sitting with her back against his legs, Bella thought of all the times that she begged him to save her and he did, she even thought of the few times she begged him to just let her change, and she shuddered when she thought of the one time she asked Edward to kill her. Of course she didn't ask while Victoria was close or nearby, but she did ask nonetheless, and that threw Edward into a fit of rage. He punched the walls, broke her bed and sink, and shook her so hard she thought he had broken her arms. The day after she asked Edward the question Victoria came; Bella had the smallest bit of hope that Edward would let this be the last time, but he didn't and he saved her once again. Bella cried for days. At first, she cried because she was tired and wanted it all to be over, then she cried at what she had done to Edward by asking him to do such a thing, her cries turned to gut-wrenching sobs when the faces of her children flashed behind her eyes, she had a panic attack that had Edward worried after she saw Jake's face.

Edward's body grew tense and he nudged Bella with his knee. _She's coming._ When the clicking of Victoria's boots could be heard down the hall, Bella drew in a ragged breath trying to prepare her mind and body for the freezing cold burn to once again consume her. Victoria flung the door open, an act that Bella was quickly becoming tired of. Riley walked into the room right behind her, the sleeves of his button-down shirt rolled up past his elbows. Edward made a movement to stand but before he could reach his full height Riley had kicked his legs sending Edward down to the floor on his knees.

Bella scrambled back, and flattened herself against the wall, her heart was pounding as hard as it could these days, but she still held her breath. Victoria knelt down and got on eye level with Bella, her eyes moving slowing back and forth, taking in everything. Reaching her hand out, Victoria began to caress Bella's cheek; confused, Bella had to fight herself from turning into her palm. Victoria's hand slid over Bella's cheek and then her ear, coming to rest in the hair at the nape of her neck. With a hard tug, Victoria pulled Bella to her feet and moved her across the room. Shoving her back into the wall, Victoria ran her fingernail down Bella's cheek and then slapped it. Bella's anger flared and she did something that took even her by surprise: she spit in Victoria's face.

A gleam appeared in Victoria's eyes and she slowly brought her hand to Bella's face once more; using her pointer finger, Victoria tapped Bella on the nose. "Not… Tap… a wise… Tap… choice, pet." With that, Victoria jerked Bella forward and with one jerk of her hand Bella's top and bra were lying on the cold stone floor. Bella could hear Edward struggling to get free from Riley's grip, but he wasn't able to get loose. Her hands shot to her chest, with a flick of her wrist, Victoria batted them away. Lifting her arm and twirling Bella around her chest was now pressed up against the cold stone.

"Riley, bring him here." Victoria demanded.

With her cheek pressed into the wall, Bella could see Riley dragging Edward to her side, and then he brought him back to his knees. Edward was looking at Bella, not taking his eyes off her until Victoria spoke.

"You think you can outsmart me? I have a hundred years at least on you. Your plan didn't seem to work, all you did was make me angry, and ruined my fun. Now it's time to end this, what do you say, Riley, are you tired of this game as well?" Riley shook his head at the question, and seemed to tighten his grip on Edward's neck and nod at Victoria at the same time. Bella felt something on her back running circles between her shoulder blades, from one shoulder to the other. Goosebumps erupted across Bella's back.

It was when Victoria spoke again that Bella gasped out in shock.

"How do you like your meat, Edward? Filleted like a fish, or butter-flied like a hog?"

That's when Bella felt it, right along her spine something was slicing into her skin slowly tearing her open. Squeezing her eyes shut, Bella waited for the pain to consume her, wishing that it would hurry so she could pass out already.

Victoria stopped halfway down her spine, smiling at Edward with a look of pure pleasure. Starting again at the top, this time cutting deeper and quicker, Bella screamed out in pain; she could feel the thick blood flowing steadily out of her back, with her eyes shut tight she could feel a cool breeze, a shill scream, one like she had never heard before. Then she felt herself falling, her head scraping against the stone and before she hit the floor she was out.

Victoria's new plan lasted for a while. Edward could hear her coming down the hall before Bella ever could, and, on instinct to protect Bella, he stilled and then nudged Bella away from himself. Before he could fully stand, though, Victoria and Riley were in the room, Riley once again holding him in a headlock.

Edward was struggling to get out of Riley's hold; he fought more when Victoria approached Bella and his anger flared when she slapped her and jerked her around. Edward was shocked when Bella spit in her face, and outraged and embarrassed for Bella when Victoria ripped her shirt off. Riley jerked him over to kneel beside Bella, while Victoria spoke, and their eyes locked; Edward was in further shock, when the words coming from Victoria's mouth didn't quite meet the stream of thoughts coming from both her and Riley. Victoria couldn't stop thinking how fun this was going to be to watch him watch Bella suffer like she never had, and all Riley could think about was getting this over with so he and Victoria could mate.

It was then, that a glimpse of her plans popped into her head; before Edward could fight, Victoria was already slicing her long fingernail into the skin of Bella's back, just hard enough to cause a scratch. Edward could feel heat in his toes and finger tips, but when she spoke again his anger flared and when she sliced a slit directly down Bella's spine, something in Edward snapped. He wasn't sure what it was, he didn't even care. Some power within him made him strong enough in that moment to rip Riley's arm from its socket and send him flying across the room, while he simultaneously lunged at Victoria's head.

One scream, that was all that came from her before her cold marble head was lying on the floor rocking back and forth. Riley's arm was clawing its way to the head while the rest of her body was twitching on the floor. The scent of Bella's blood made the venom pool on Edward's tongue; he had to save her, he had to get out of there, but first he had to burn the house.

Dashing out of the room and down the hall into the kitchen where Thomas sat white as a ghost, Edward ripped the ear buds from his ears, and screamed at him to go get Bella and get her out of there. Quicker than Edward could imagine Thomas was running down the hall. Edward knew when he had come upon the scene, he could hear Thomas take a breath, stumble back into the wall and mutter a slew of curse words. Edward was ripping the drawers out of the cabinets searching for a flashlight to set the house on fire when he was hit from behind. Thrown into the cabinet Edward whirled around to the pissed-off face of Riley.

Edward crouched, ready to attack, when Riley made his move. He lunged at Edward his one hand out in front of him aiming to get Edward's throat, his hands dug into Riley's rib below his missing appendage and ripped out a hunk of flesh. Riley screamed and fought Edward, slamming him against the stove in the kitchen. It was then that Edward heard the clicking that it dawned on him. Shifting his weight, Edward drew one hand behind his back, flipped the burner on, and turned at lightning speed. The fire raced up the empty sleeve of Riley's shirt; pushing away from Riley and the flames, Edward darted down the hall to the room where Thomas was over Bella holding his shirt to her still-bleeding back. Edward could hear screaming and squawking coming from the kitchen as he made his way over to Victoria's head grabbing it and then he was dragging her body into the kitchen which was already engulfed in flames. Throwing what was left into the fire Edward raced back to the room.

Thomas was in the same place, still holding the rag to Bella's back, when Edward entered the room once more. Looking at Thomas Edward spoke as quick as he could, "Get as many supplies as you can, we can't stay here, the house is on fire we have to go somewhere else, get everything you can." Edward started to scoop Bella up but Thomas's hand on his forearm stopped him.

"I don't know how deep that is, but if it's too deep, we could paralyze her if we move her."

"We have to get out of here!" Edward roared, causing Thomas to stumble back onto his ass.

The smoke was making its way down the hall and into the room. "Don't you see, we are going to burn if we don't get out of here, we have to move her no matter what." Thomas nodded his head and made his way out of the room. Edward still didn't move Bella, but he could hear Thomas across the hall in Bella's old room, breaking something. He came back into the room with a long cabinet door that was once part of the bureau in the bathroom. Throwing it at Edward, Thomas made his way out of the room once again, telling Edward with his thoughts that he was going after the supplies that weren't already burning.

Edward was thankful that Bella had landed the way that she did. The skin on her forehead right at her hairline was peeled a little from her running down the wall, but with her head pressed into the wall it kept the top of her body raised off the floor just enough for Edward to shove the door underneath her creating a gurney of sorts. As careful as he could Edward slid the door under as much of Bella's body; with movements as slow as he could manage, he got the rest of Bella's body onto the door. He then ripped his shirt off, tied the sleeves together, and bound her shoulders to the board. Moving down to her legs Edward did the same with his pant legs.

Thomas ran back into the room, and was shocked at the progress Edward had made. He had found some supplies, but told Edward that most of the front of the house was on fire and it was starting to make its way down the long hall as well. The only way they were going to be able to get out of the house was through the lone window at the end of the hall. Walking over to Bella he stood at the foot of the door and squatted down.

"We're going to have to do this as quickly as possible, but as smooth as possible, otherwise we could damage her."

With that, they lifted at the same time and shuffled out of the room, Edward out front with Thomas not far behind; both of them felt the heat from the fire at their backs. Thomas was choking from the smoke, and Edward picked up his pace, while holding onto the door he kicked his foot out and shattered the window.

Edward straddled the glass window and placed the door on the lip of the sill, while he climbed the rest of the way out. Pulling on the door Edward held it as steady as he could, holding most of its weight on his head. Once Thomas was out of the window Edward began to run into the forest, with Thomas stumbling behind him. As they were running Edward could hear Thomas yelling at him that he knew of a place where they could go; following his directions, Edward made a quick left and ran a straight line until his feet hit pavement. Looking out at the city, Edward could see the sky turning different shades of orange. He couldn't be seen, but he also couldn't be in the middle of the city with Bella as bad off as she was. Turning to Thomas he was going to ask him what his plan was, but he spoke before he could get the words out.

"There are tunnels under the Cathedral; if we can get to them before it opens no one will know that we're there. They lead to two large chamber rooms, that's where Victoria took people when she fed from or was planning to turn them."

With a nod of his head and a long look at the Cathedral Edward darted across the road; he snapped the lock on one of the doors on the side of the stone building. Making their way through the main building, Edward found a door where the stench of old blood and decay was the strongest. Pushing the door open, Edward made his way down the stone steps and through the dark hallway, on the right there was another door and behind it a large room. Walking to the middle of the room, Edward laid Bella down turned to Thomas and told him that he had to go; a look of confusion appeared on Thomas's face.

"The smell of the blood," Edward confessed. "I can't… I have to feed." All Thomas saw then was a white streak and then the clicking of the door as it closed.

Thomas made quick work of digging through the backpack that he had shoved full of the supplies Victoria had kept on the shelf in her closet. Thomas sighed in relief when he spotted the same sedative that Victoria had him use on Bella when she first brought Bella to Mexico. Filling the syringe Thomas injected it into Bella's arm and got to work. The blood was already dry across her back and the blood was beginning to stick to Edward's shirt that was pressed to it. Thomas slowly peeled the shirt off and took a bottle of alcohol and began to pour it over the wound and across her back. Tilting his head toward the ceiling Thomas thanked god that she wasn't awake to feel the pain he knew the alcohol would be causing. He cleaned her back, placing gauze pads along her spine; turning the pack on its end, Thomas found a suture needle and some thread and started to sew the wound. Looking closely so as to make sure he didn't catch anything other than skin, he saw that a thin layer of her muscle was cut open; he wanted to look at her more closely, but time was of the essence. Starting at her shoulder blades, Thomas began to stitch her up, praying that he didn't miss anything. He had never had to stitch a wound so big and normally he would have used stitches on the muscle and staples on her back itself, but he had nothing else. The only good thing was that the sutures he was using were the type that would dissolve on their own, but he also knew that they needed to get more supplies and a cleaner place to stay. Hoping that Edward would return soon, Thomas wiped the sweat off his brow and continued to stitch Bella back together.

**

* * *

It had been days, now- how many, Thomas wasn't sure, because he hadn't left Bella's side; he was putting a medical ointment on her back to help the wound heal and hopefully keep infection away, when the door burst open. Not looking over his shoulder Thomas started to yell to Edward that they needed supplies and to move Bella when he heard a woman's voice gasp.**

Spinning on his knees, Thomas gasped out in shock at what he saw: the black eyes of a small, very pale pixie-like figure standing in the doorway.

_Vampire._

Thomas was throwing himself over Bella's body, trying to protect her from getting taken again. She had been through enough at Victoria's hands and now another was coming to take her back.

"Stay away! He's coming back soon. He's hunting, but he's coming back!" Thomas yelled, at the figure, while curling Bella's limp body underneath himself.

"Edward…. Where is he… where did he go? Oh, my god, Bella, is she alright?" Alice screeched, while flying toward both Thomas and Bella. Thomas held his hand out for the figure to stop, but in her haste to see if Bella was ok she ran into him, jamming his wrist. Screaming out in pain Thomas fell over on his side while clutching his wrist to his chest.

"Who are you, how do you know Edward?" Thomas panted out.

"He's my brother. Where is he, you said he was hunting?" Alice said while her hands hovered over Bella's back.

"He hasn't been here in days; I don't know where he went."

Looking Thomas in the eye Alice whispered, "I can't believe it's this bad… Is she ok?"

"I'm not really sure what happened. All I know is that her back was opened up, all the way down to the muscle, but I don't think it was far enough to hit anything major."

A blur of white shot at Thomas and the next thing he knew Alice's tiny hands were on his shoulders shaking him back and forth "You don't think, what do you mean you don't think, you're some sort of doctor, aren't you?"

"I'm only in medical school, I've never seen something that bad before, I did the best I could with what I had!" Thomas yelled, anger lacing his panicked voice.

Pinching the bridge of his nose Thomas took a deep breath and sighed loudly. "Look, us fighting isn't going to help her, we need to get her out of here and somewhere clean; I am nearly out of supplies. I took everything that was left back at the house, but this isn't enough to last more than tonight. I need to keep this ointment on her and I think she might be getting an infection because her skin is getting hot and red."

Alice bent over, her nose inches from Bella's back. Thomas' eyes widened in shock at what he was seeing, she drew in a breath as she ran her nose down the entire length of Bella's spine. "It is getting infected at the top and down at the bottom too. If you can stay here a bit longer I can go out and get everything that you need, then we'll find a place we can go."

With a quick nod from Thomas, Alice was out the door. Grateful that she had waited to come as soon as the sun set, Alice knew she had a plan. First, she needed to find a hotel that wasn't dingy and nasty like the room Thomas had her in, second was to find supplies.

Running to the nearest hospital, Alice flipped open her cell phone to dial Esme. Alice stopped in her tracks, when she was hit with yet another vision. It was Edward, he as sitting in the woods rocking back and forth over the carcass of an animal. Shooting toward the woods nearest her, Alice began to dart in and out of the trees, trying to catch scent of where Edward was; she couldn't stop thinking about all the things she had to do for Bella before dawn but then she caught on to his trail, and she ran as fast as she could to get to him. When the faint smell of Bella's blood and animal blood mixed, Alice knew she was close.

Catching sight of Edward's pale skin, Alice slowed to a walk so as not to startle him. "I know you're here, Alice, I'm not that bad off," Edward snapped.

"That's not how I meant it, Edward, I knew you would hear me I just didn't want to upset you, are you okay, Edward?" Alice wanted so badly to move closer to him, pull him into her arms and tell him that everything was going to be okay, that Carlisle was on his way and that the rest of the family were waiting in Colorado for them.

"Thank god he's coming. Alice, I don't know what to do… Is she…. is she alright?"

_Yes, she's alright, and he's coming, he should be here in a couple of days, _Alice thought while walking over to Edward and bending down to touch his back. He was only wearing pants that were ripped at the legs, and when Alice's hand made contact with the cool skin of his back he flinched only slightly, but Alice still moved back.

"I'm sorry." Hiding his face in his hands, Edward's body began to shake from his sobs.

"It's ok, Edward." _I'm just glad it wasn't you. _The thought made its way through Alice's mind before she could stop it; without warning, Edward had her up against a tree by her neck. Red anger-filled eyes bore into her golden ones.

"You thought I would do that to her! How could you think that about me, Alice?" Edward roared while tightening his grip on her neck.

_The first vision I got of you was months ago, Edward. All I saw was Bella in agony and you sucking on her wrist, what was I suppose to think, Edward_!

"You saw that? Why didn't you come sooner, Alice, that was months ago!" Letting his hand drop Edward backed up, if he kept talking to her about this his grip would only get tighter, and with his anger, though he didn't want to, he knew he might hurt her.

_The vision was so quick, Edward. It took me by surprise. All I saw was what you were doing to Bella; even if there were more, Edward, you were in a forest how was I suppose to find you?_

"How often did you see?"

_A lot, every time I saw you after that you were in a room with Bella doing that to her, they were all quick. I'm sorry, Edward we thought…..we didn't want to but we did, how could we not._

"How could you not…" Edward roared while gripping his mud-caked hair, "You could not by having faith in the love you know I have for her, you could not by trusting in your brother! All of you… even…. even Esme…. Esme knows?" Edward's rant grew somber at the thought of Esme, his mother for all intents purposes, believing that he too was the one torturing Bella all that time.

Finding her voice again Alice spoke in a rush, "We did, but when I got the last vision I knew, Edward, Emmett and I knew."

"Emmett… he's here, with you?"

"No he went back, to stop Jasper from coming down here; when I had the vision of you standing in front of the Cathedral we got a computer and did everything we could to find you, I'm sorry it took so long Edward, but I had to call Carlisle when I had the vision of Bella. Jasper overheard, and he starting running down here. He can't come, there's too much blood, and she hasn't healed yet; I don't think he could control himself."

Edward's brows furrowed and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wait, are you telling me that the only time you had visions of me was when I was biting Bella, then you saw what she did to Bella, too, and the Cathedral?"

_Yes, what does that have to do with anything?_

"She was… she had some sort of power, Alice; I couldn't hear her or Riley. The only time I could was when she would let me. When I had to suck the venom out of Bella's wrist."

Alice's gasp interrupted Edward's explanation. "That's what you were doing," she stated, more as a fact then a question.

"Yes, Alice, but none of this is important right now, you need to get back to Bella, to help her, get her out of that room."

"Aren't you coming with me, Edward?"

When Edward looked at Alice she could see the unease in his eyes. "I can't, it's too much even now, I have done nothing but hunted the last two days and still the smell of her blood under my nails and in the fabric of my pants makes me yearn to taste her again. I can't, Alice, not now. I need Carlisle, when he is done with her, tell him I need him."

Alice pressed the cell phone into his palm. _Don't do anything rash, Edward. _She then left him and ran back in to the woods, making a mental list in her head of all the things she needed to do when she got back into town.

Alice ran to the back of the hospital, startling a nurse who was sitting at a smoking table reading a book. Slowly Alice made her way to the nurse trying her best to look like she was lost. Just as the nurse began to stand to move Alice flew forward, tapping her on the head as lightly as she could but still effectively knocking her out. Dragging the nurse behind the nearest dumpster Alice whispered her apologies while taking off her Burberry trench coat and laying it on the ground, picking the nurse up she put her back down on the coat and began to strip her from her scrubs and keys. Once the nurse was redressed in Alice's designer clothes, she made her way to the back door slipping the key in the slot and waited for the lock to click open.

Quickly making her way down the corridors Alice found the medical supply closet, slipped the key into the lock; thanking Carlisle and Edward for their medical experience, Alice grabbed two vials of antibiotics, and saline bags, and a tube of the ointment that Thomas had been using on Bella. Searching around the room she found a plastic trash bag and placed the items inside. She tore out of the room and sprinted toward the door when footsteps coming down another hall made her slow her pace. Looking down Alice nearly ran into a security guard who eyed her but nodded his head when Alice held up the trash bag.

Once outside the building she could see the towers of the Cathedral and ran in the direction towards them. Bursting through the doors of the building Alice made her way to Thomas who was once again startled at her hasty entrance, and threw the bag at him. Yelling over her shoulder that she was going to find a place for them to stay, she then disappeared.

Realizing that she had left her cell phone with Edward Alice ran into the internet café down the street from the Cathedral, found a hotel that had private bungalows, and booked the only one available. Sending the information to Rosalie she wrote that Bella was doing okay, but that they weren't going to be able to move her until the next night.

When Alice re-entered the room she noticed that Thomas had already put an IV in Bella's hand and was about to add the antibiotic to the drip. Looking over his shoulder Thomas smiled and turned his eyes back to Bella.

Sitting down on the floor beside her he looked at Alice once again, "Can you watch her while I try and rest? I would, but I'm so tired I can barely hold my eyes open and she seems to be doing better."

"I can do that." was all Alice said as she sat beside Bella tucking her knees under her and began to stroke her hair.

Bella was in pain, so much pain that she screamed out even before she was fully awake; she was struggling, fighting to get the burning fire off of her spine. Every time she would move to roll over and rub the heat off of her back, she would cry out in pain, her ribs hurt as well and her head was pounding. Trying as hard as she could to reach back to touch her back, her hand was grasped by a large one and placed at her side.

It took almost more energy then Bella had to peel her crusty eyes open, trying to find the owner of the warm hand, with her cheek pressed to a soft surface. Bella's eyes began to wonder around; she wasn't in the stone room, anymore. This room had white walls, with what looked to be a dresser and a door that led to a toilet from what she could make out through the haze. Once again, Bella tried to roll to her back so she could make herself more aware of her surroundings.

When a rumbling stilled her, and someone spoke, she stiffened. She couldn't make out the words, but the voice was deep and low, almost a whisper. The crotch of faded blue jeans came into her line of sight and slowly the crotch of the jeans turned into the hem of a shirt and then shoulders; finally, she was met with a face, a familiar face. She smiled, wincing when her cracked lips split open. Clearing her throat she tried to speak, while moving her hand to cup his warm cheek, tracing her finger along the smile playing on his own lips; she was able to whisper before the darkness took over her once again.

_Jake._

Once the drug took affect, and Bella's hand fell limp onto the side of the mattress, he stood with a confused expression on his face; his eyes locked onto Edward's still-red eyes across the room.

"Who is Jake?" Emmett asked, while walking around the foot of the bed towards Edward.

"Gather the family into the main room, and I'll tell you everything," Edward spoke, while pushing himself off the wall and making his way out the door.

For the next several hours, Edward told his family what had happened to both him and to Bella over the course of the last nearly two years. He told them what he was doing in the time that he was gone, before he found Bella, and then he told them everything that Bella had told him about falling in love with Jake and what he was- Emmett couldn't help but make a joke about Bella mating with a dog; the three women all gasped out in shock when Edward told him that Bella had had his children: twins- a boy and a girl. If vampires were able to cry, all three of them would have when he told them their names. Alice had jumped up in typical Alice fashion and began to prattle off a list of things she needed to buy for the children. Finally sensing his attitude, Jasper had tugged Alice back onto the couch beside him, quietly rolling his eyes at her misguided enthusiasm.

Edward then told them about the note, the one that Thomas said Victoria had left for Jake in the hospital, the note which had upset Bella more than they could have imagined. The thought of Jake being broken-hearted in turn broke Bella's heart; she had suffered so much, even before the torture started. He told them about the room that Victoria put Bella in, told them about the fact that like Bella he couldn't hear their thoughts, and instead of allowing him to hunt one night Riley made him kill a human whom Victoria had had watching Jake and her children; he told them everything, including what had happened in the two weeks that followed that night.

When he went into detail of the events of the last eight months, starting with the first time, everyone grew angry. Carlisle's anger shocked both Edward and Jasper. In all the time Edward had been with Carlisle he had never seen him so angry and Jasper felt Carlisle's _guilt_ more than his anger; he knew the cause of his actions were because he thought Edward was the one hurting Bella.

When Emmett jumped up declaring war on Victoria, Edward told them what had happened the last day they were in the house, what Victoria did to Bella and the rage he felt was like something he had never felt before. Looking at Jasper he nodded his head and in turn Jasper did the same, he could feel the rage rolling off Edward; but, to his surprise, Edward hardly showed it. He told him how he ripped her apart and tore off Riley's arm before burning the house to the ground; they were gone.

He also told them that he had figured out that Victoria was keeping her thoughts from him on purpose, that she had some kind of shield that she could put up and drop as she pleased and in dropping it during her torture of Bella Alice could see what was happening to them.

The moving of fabric in Bella's room caused the family to fall silent and still. "Jake… Jake, I'm so cold," Bella murmured, before falling into sleep once again.

Emmett looked around the room; every eye was on him.

Rose spoke, then, shocking everyone out of their trance. "She thinks you're him. Emmett, you need to go to her, she needs you right now."

Once in the room, Emmett crouched at the head of the bed and took Bella's hand in his, running his fingers across her knuckles. Emmett's heart if he had one, would have cracked, in that moment; and, when she whispered Jake's name, with so much love and need, Emmett was sure his heart would shatter, into a million tiny pieces.

_**Evil you say, I know, but that couldn't be helped, At least Bella isn't going to be tortured any more right. She has a fight ahead of her though. I want to reassure you that this is a Jake/Bella story, even though Bella thinks Emmett is Jake right now, nothing but friendship is going to happen with these two. I have one page written for the next Chapter, and like I told my beta it's Jake time! Time jump and fun times ahead.**_


	13. Chapter 11

_**A/N: As promised this chapter is Jake ;) I hope that you all enjoy it, my beta and I both had a good laugh while reading it.**_

**Chapter 11**

Jake was a horse. He had spent the better part of today - like most Sundays, this was his one day off of patrolling, which he would use to spend with CJ and Ali - bouncing around his backyard, acting like a bucking bronco. Ali was only six, but Jake thought she had the strength of a ten-year-old. She loved playing cowgirl; so here Jake was, in wolf form, bucking around the backyard with Ali on his back, while CJ, Embry, and Angela watched on. CJ was yelling at Ali to hold on tighter, and Embry was yelling at Ali to spur Jake, which she did, kicking her little heals into the side of his ribs. Embry was holding his stomach from laughter, when Ali wouldn't stop spurring Jake, and Jake growled a little in response, _You'll get yours, asshole._

Jake noticed Ali's grip loosen on his neck, and knew that this was his chance. He quickly lowered his head toward the ground and Ali rolled forward, down his neck and over his head. Jake caught the back of her shirt with his teeth so that she wouldn't hit the ground hard. Rolling onto her stomach, Ali quickly stood, threw her hands on her tiny hips, and stamped her foot. "NO fair, daddy, my hair was in my face!" she screamed.

Jake snorted, sending moisture from his nose onto her little face. He saw the flush spread up her cheeks and knew he was in for it. Stomping toward him, she reached out her hands and grabbed hold of his snout, trying to lock his mouth together like she would if she were scolding a dog.

"I'm a girl!" she cried. And that's yuck!" And with that, Ali turned on her heel and began to strorm away. With a shift of his paw, Jake stretched out and caught her by the back of the shirt; with a gentle jerk of his head, Ali fell.

Shifting his feet apart, Ali landed between his front paws. Rolling onto her knees she was in the same position as Jake and he couldn't help but smile on the inside. Her stance matched his. Her tiny hands spread apart like his front paws, head down, and butt in the air, his tail swishing back and forth in a playful manner. When Ali pulled her lip up to snarl at him showing her missing front tooth, Jake pounced on her and began licking her face. Letting her yank his fur as hard as she could, allowing her to feel like she was in control, Jake let out a soft yelp when she pushed them over. Trying her hardest, Ali was scrambling up his back. Jake then rolled over, causing Ali to roll off of him into the dirt once more.

She was laying on her back, kicking the underside of his belly as he was licking her face and sniffing her hair. Squealing, because her shirt was getting ruined and her daddy was messing up her braids, she stopped, when Jake stopped, but he lowered his upper half onto her body, and looked into her face with a low whine, to show her he was sorry; he began to back off of her. Her hand shot out from her side and playfully punched Jake on the tip of the nose, starting round three of their play fight. He could hear Embry still egging her on, and it seemed that Angela and CJ had joined Team Ali, as well.

Amidst the squealing from Ali, and the screaming from the others, the two wolves in the backyard couldn't hear tires crouching on the gravel, the door of the car slam, or their names being called. No one heard as a button on a belt was flipped open or metal against leather, but everyone heard the single shot, and one of them felt it.

Yelping in surprise, and growling in anger, Jake turned and jumped off a now crying Ali and began stalking toward his prey. The eyes were wide, gun still drawn. It was shaking, Jake noticed; the finger on the trigger began to squeeze. He took off running toward the gun and just as he got close enough, Jake phased back, grabbed the gun from Charlie, and threw it into the woods. Standing nose to nose with the Chief of police, Jake's fists were balled up and shaking, he was seething, and he could feel the blood trickling down his leg.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Charlie? You could have hit her!" Jake roared, causing his spit to hit Charlie in the face.

"I… I..." Charlie couldn't get the words out; maybe he was dreaming, there was no way could this be real, he thought, shaking his head from side to side.

"You…. You what, Charlie? You shot me in the fucking ass! Son of a bitch, this hurts!" Jake yelled, while twisting around, trying to locate the hole on his left ass cheek; blood was still sliding down his leg and onto the ground, though now it was just a slow steady trickling. It would heal soon.

Charlie's mouth popped open; Jake's tone had shocked him. Then the anger flared. Jake could see the rush of blood make its way up his neck and into his cheeks, the pounding of his heart was out of control and now, the veins in his neck, and the one on his forehead...; Jake hadn't seen Charlie this worked up since they'd told him Bella was pregnant.

Finally, the question caught up with him.

"What the fuck am I doing, Jake? I was coming to pick Ali and CJ up to get them some ice cream, and I walk into the backyard to see a horse-sized dog attacking my granddaughter! I shot it because I was protecting her... And just what the hell are you doing running around in the damn woods naked? I could take you in for public indecency! And why the hell is there blood…?" Then everything clicked, and Charlie fainted; stiff as a board, he fell back onto the grass.

What seemed like hours later, Charlie felt something cold and wet on his forehead. Groaning, he stretched out, and winced as a pain shot through the back of his head. Slowly opening his eyes so they could adjust to the brightness of the room, he found himself looking into Sue Clearwater's loving eyes. She had a sad smile on her face, and was slowly rubbing his forehead and cheeks with the cool, wet cloth. He heard shuffling across the room, and turned his head. Ali and CJ were sitting at their table, coloring in coloring books, while Jake was crouched beside the table in a pair of cut-off jeans; when his eyes met Charlie's, he stood, and began slowly walking across the room towards him.

Scrambling to sit up, Charlie's feet found purchase on the couch arm, jolting him upright. Rolling onto his feet, Charlie grabbed Sue by the wrist and flung her behind him onto the couch. Instinctively, he reached for the gun in his belt; he had to protect her. Jake stopped mid-stride, halfway across the room.

"You stay away from her!" Charlie yelled, while pointing at Jake.

Angela ran out of the kitchen and quickly ushered CJ and Ali out the front door, while Embry came to stand by Jake. He slapped him on the shoulder with a sly smile, as he said, "Guess the wolf's outta the bag, huh, Alpha? That's two-" Jake shot Embry a warning glare, and locked eyes again with Charlie. Charlie was ghost-white, now, and swaying from side to side, still holding Sue behind him.

"Wolf?" Charlie uttered, as he fell backward into Sue's lap, causing her to squeak out in shock.

Shifting to get herself out from under Charlie, Sue took Charlie's hand in hers, turning his face to meet her eyes. She smiled that same sad smile and whispered, "Charlie, we need to talk."

The next night, Charlie's grip on Sue's hand was so tight it almost hurt, as they made their way down the path behind Jake's house to Third Beach. Although his grip was tight, his hand was clammy and shaking; Sue was walking shoulder to shoulder with him, and she could see his eyes darting from side to side. His mustache would twitch at every little sound.

Stepping onto the beach, Sue stopped and turned toward him. Cupping her face in her hands she placed a quick peck on his lips and, when he wouldn't look her in the eyes, she nodded, and began walking toward the raging fire. As they made their way across the beach, Charlie's eyes grew wide at what he saw. There, on the beach, Jake was standing behind Billy's wheelchair, and on either side of them was Ali and CJ. Embry, Angela, Paul, Rachel, Jared, Kim, Sam, Emily, Ryder, Leah and finally Seth were all sitting on logs that surrounded the bonfire.

Charlie stopped in his tracks as all eyes met his; walking around Billy, Jake motioned for Charlie and Sue to sit on a log beside him. Sue stepped in front of Charlie once again and walked toward the log. Charlie wanted to fight her, but he couldn't; he was so lost, he didn't really know what was going on. All he knew was that it had to do with legends that he had heard a couple of times when he had been to bonfires on the rez before. They couldn't be true, though. This was all some kind of joke, it had to be.

Sitting down, Charlie looked at Billy; Billy smiled as his face lit up. He began speaking, as soon as everyone around him was seated. "The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning..."

After the story was told, Charlie was in awe of what he had just heard, at the pride that rang through Billy's voice as he told the story, and at the respect from everyone at the bonfire, even his grandchildren, who were now being carried up the path to their home by Leah and Seth.

Looking around at the people across the fire Charlie could see their faces, the women were smiling just so, the men were looking on with concern. Charlie stood, pacing back and forth, trying to shift through all the information in his head.

Locking eyes with Jake, he asked, "It's true? You... you're a werewolf?"

Nodding his head, eyes darting towards his friends, Jake replied. "I am, we are." He indicated the others by waving at them with his palm. Charlie stopped, and slowly looked at each couple, and then his eyes fell on the path that Leah and Seth had disappeared along earlier.

"_They_ are" It was a question more than a statement.

"Leah and Seth." Jake nodded, "The kids… we don't know yet, but we think at least CJ will, because of Leah. Maybe Ali... I don't know."

"So everyone here, the story... it's not a story, it's true, and all this time, it's _been_ true?"

"Not everyone Charlie, just the guys and Leah, not Ryder, though. He's her- he's Leah's...imprint...?" The statement rolled off into a question; unintentionally, Jake rolled his eyes at himself; he did not want to make this more complicated than it was, at the moment. He wanted Charlie to have the facts - it was going to be a long night, they knew that already - but the plan was just to tell them about their history, to confirm it with Charlie, and then slowly introduce him to everything else this life entailed. But this was Charlie Swan. And, really, Jake should have known better.

"Imprint? What's that?"

"It's not important right now, Charlie, we just need you to understand what we are. You do understand that, right? Everything you heard tonight is true and it's about all of us."

"Did _she_ know?" Jake knew, by the change in Charlie's tone, that he didn't mean Leah, now.

Rolling forward, Jake placed his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. He stared down at the ground, as he whispered low enough for only Charlie and the four other wolves to hear, "She did."

"She knew about this, all along, and she didn't tell me!" Charlie yelled out in frustration, his fists clenched.

"She couldn't, Charlie, just like you can't tell anyone; no one outside this circle besides the council, Quil, Brady and Colin know about what we are. You can't tell _anyone_."

"Old Quil?"

"Yes, he's on the council, and the others that aren't here are on patrol. Look, Charlie, just sit down and let us explain everything to you, you heard the stories, let me just tell you."

Charlie huffed, and plopped down on the log, waiting.

"Right now, I'm Alpha of this pack. The guys you see here make up the pack, and Leah and Seth, Colin, and Brady, and Quil are wolves too."

"The girls, and Ryder, are what you call imprints. An imprint is the wolf's soulmate, the ones our ancestors have chosen for the wolf. They are everything that matters to the wolf, the cable that binds them together, the gravity that holds them to this earth. They will be together, loving each other forever, nothing or no one can ever come between them."

"Was she yours?" Charlie interrupted.

Jake blew out a breath, locking eyes with Charlie once more. "No, she wasn't." Jake opened his mouth to continue, but Charlie stopped him.

"Did she know that?"

Shifting under Charlie's stare, Jake drew in a deep breath before he spoke. "She knew, but she also knew that I never would imprint. It's impossible; I loved her too much to ever leave her."

"Impossible? Here we sit surrounded by _them_, so how is it impossible?"

"I just know it is, ok, Charlie? It's never going to happen for me, I can feel it."

Jake could see the others shifting and looking at each other, he could tell them and everyone else he knew until he was blue in the face that he was never going to imprint. But none of them believed him, the belief that he wouldn't was shot to hell after Leah herself imprinted. But Jake knew, he really felt it.

"Is that why she left?"

"She left because she wanted the leech more," he spit through clenched teeth.

"The leech?"

The story of the Cullen coven was then told; Jake bit out as much as he could handle about Edward Cullen and, when his body began to shudder, he walked away from the fire and stood against the shore, letting the water lap at his bare feet to calm him.

When he walked back to the fire, Sam was telling Charlie about finding Bella in the woods; as Jake sat, listening to why and how the pack came about, he began to relive his own transformation, and the weeks that he was without Bella, hurting her, going to her that night, telling her that she knew, her coming to him the next day and really finding out about him, her accepting everything about him so easily. As Sam spoke the words, Jake's mind supplied the images- images of a past he'd rather have forgotten.

When Sam began to tell Charlie about what happened after her finding out, Jake took over and told him the rest. The reason why Bella jumped off the cliff, and, looking at Sue, he told about how and when Seth and Leah phased. When Jake mentioned Harry Clearwater, Charlie put his arm around Sue, and brought her close to his chest; despite how much time had passed since his death, it was still a tender subject.

He told Charlie almost everything he knew, that night. Everything from what Bella had told him about Arizona, to the reason why the Cullens had left in the first place. To what _he_ said to her, that night in the woods, that had broken her so completely. Charlie had to also excuse himself to the water to calm down, when it all soaked in that his daughter was dating a vampire and had nearly been killed twice because of _his_ family.

When all was said and done, the sun was rising, the imprints were pressed into the wolves' sides, and Charlie had a new understanding of the pack and the legends as he knew them. His hurt and anger at Sue for not telling him after all these years was gone, and in its place was a new kind of respect for her and her family, along with Billy and his family. But he also had fear. Fear for all of the children of the pack, fear that they too would phase one day and have to fight and protect their lands as the wolves now did, and most of all, fear that his daughter was now one of the cold ones they often fought against.

After the bonfire was over, everyone left but Sue and Charlie, the fire was only embers and the tiniest of blue flames was poking its way through. Turning to Sue, Charlie held her, she cried on his shoulder that morning, and everything came pouring out of her. The shock that she herself had, the fact that all the years that she and Harry had together he never once said a thing to her, the betrayal she felt the moment her son turned, and the shattering of her heart when her daughter did the same, but the anger, when Harry died, that was what surprised her. She was angry that he had a heart attack right after Leah's transformation, leaving her to think that his death was all her fault. Angry that even though he knew Seth was showing signs of phasing he still didn't feel the need to tell her what was going on and most of all, angry for letting her hate both Sam and Emily for so long for breaking their daughter's heart.

That brought on questions from Charlie, and when Sue told him about Sam, Leah and Emily, Charlie's opinion of Jake never imprinting was set. He would, some day, and he would be happy, no longer to be pining over the girl, his daughter, that left him broken.

Charlie smiled at that, because Jake deserved an imprint, and those kids deserved a mother.

Two days later, and Charlie was sitting on his back porch looking out at the forest. Beer in hand, he had taken a week off work and he had been thinking. Thinking of everything he had learned in the last forty-eight hours; he couldn't stop beating himself up, over how he had allowed Bella to date the Cullen kid. He knew he had a funny feeling about him, the guys at work had told Charlie it was just the normal dad reaction to his daughter dating someone for the first time. He had pushed it aside and put up with Cullen because, at the time, he seemed to make Bella happy. But still, how could he not have noticed all the nights that he would stay and watch them eat and Cullen would never eat, not one bite, making every excuse he could to get out of having dinner with them. And, come to think of it, he never really had seen any of the Cullens out when it was sunny, though no one had ever thought to put two and two together...until now.

The back door scraping against wood made Charlie look over his shoulder. Jake was making his way toward him. Sitting down in the chair beside Charlie, he bent over the arm of his chair and took a beer from the cooler.

"Been a long time since I've been here," Jake stated, while popping the top of his can.

"You and me both, kid."

"So, what are we doing, just watching the weeds grow?"

Charlie chuckled a little, and waved his hand out across the backyard, "I'm mowing the lawn. First, though, I'm taking a break. I need a plan of attack."

Four years had passed since Charlie had lived in this house. After two years of fighting amongst council members, they finally agreed to let Charlie move onto the reservation, with the threat that Sue would leave the council and no longer offer free nursing at the small medical building in town, if they didn't allow it. He left his house in Forks to sit empty, because he couldn't bear the thought of selling it. It was, after all, his mother's house, and the one place that held the most memories of Bella; to this day, like the rest of the house, her room had been left untouched.

Jake swallowed the rest of his beer with a smile, and nudged Charlie's elbow. "So why the yard mowing? Obviously, it's been a while, but is Sue still getting on you for letting this place go downhill?"

Looking at Charlie, Jake could see the sadness in his eyes before he spoke, "I've got renters moving in, at the end of the month."

Jake's eyes went wide at this news; he had figured that Charlie would just let the old house rot. When Billy had brought up the idea of selling the house, so that Charlie could get one bigger than a cracker jack box on the rez, he had pretty much lost it, stomped to his cruiser and peeled out of their gravel driveway, not coming back for nearly a week.

"So, renters, huh? Thought you didn't want anyone living in _your_ house?"

"Yeah, well, Sue is practically living with me these days, and that house I got when I moved down there is just too damn small. The kids are getting older, and it's kind of weird that they have to share a bedroom when they spend the night, and I think… I think it's time, anyway. Knowing what I know now, I'm pretty sure she's not coming back."

Jake shook his head at the thought, Charlie had kept this house all this time thinking that _she_ was actually going to come back.

"I know what you're thinking, son, and it is crazy, but I had hope that she would come to her senses, see what she had left behind. You know, Renee came back once. I never told anyone, because I knew deep down that she would leave again. She was only here three days with Bella; she came in the middle of the night and left just the same."

"It's not crazy, Charlie, really. For a long time, I had hope that she would come back, too. I mean, if not for me than for the kids. But eventually, though, I came to terms with the knowledge that she wouldn't, and that I just had to move on. I loved her, I think I still do, to be honest with you, but living life for myself and my kids is the most important thing to me these days, and I'm happy. I have the kids, the shop, my family…the pack, and all the pups running around is good too. We grow, we move on, that's what we're here to do. I'm glad you're moving on now, too, Charlie."

"You know Jake, to be honest with you, I can feel it, I've felt it for a while now, and it's time to do something with this old place. I think my mother would be rolling in her grave if she saw how bad I let it get. I haven't mowed the backyard since the year after I moved out; I'm surprised the people even _want_ to rent the place, if we're really being honest here." Jake could hear the smile, in Charlie's voice. It was true, the backyard looked like a jungle, almost like the forest was looking to rent, as well.

"Does the mower here even run?"

"Hey," Charlie said, defensively, "I mow the front lawn, okay? You know, can't let the neighbors go calling the police, making a complaint about the place."

Slapping Charlie's knee, Jake stood, and walked around the side of the house to the garage. After an hour of fiddling with the mower, he gave up. Going back into the house he heard Charlie shuffling around in _her _old room and slowly made his way up the stairs. The closer he got to the room the stronger her scent was, Jake smiled, sucking in a deep breath held it, letting it soak into his lungs, into his memory. It had been so long since he smelled that smell. Shaking his head, Jake carried on up the stairs.

Charlie was sitting at the foot of the bed, just staring at the walls. Looking at nothing in particular but taking in everything at the same time. The pictures of Bella and her friends were starting to roll in on the edges. Everything in the room had a layer of dust on it so thick you could barely see the real color of the wood of her dresser. Clothes were still hung in the closet and strewn on the back of her desk chair; the old computer she used to email Renee still sat in the middle of the desk.

Jake made his way over to the picture wall, the corners of his mouth tugging up when he saw a picture of her the first time she was at First Beach with her friends. She looked like a drowned rat. His eyes hovered over all of the pictures, and his heart began to race when he came to a section of the wall that was just of the two of them. Pictures of just him, working in the garage on the bikes, his backside as he walked along First Beach in just his cut-offs, the cliffs where they would go and watch the sunset. His cheeks reddened when he saw the picture of the clearing and the blanket that they had made love on for the first time, and he laughed when he saw a picture he had never seen before. Jake was wearing a pair of denim shorts with no shoes or a shirt - typical, he thought to himself, but in defense they _were _just kids, at the time. His bare feet were muddy, as were his hands, and standing beside him, with mud-caked hair and two missing front teeth, was Bella, in a pair of his denim overalls; he knew they were his, because they were high up on her ankles, and in the middle of the front pocket was a Monster Truck patch.

Jake jumped a little, when Charlie's hand came down on his shoulder. "Sarah took that one of you kids, after one of your famous mud pie cooking marathons." He said, with a chuckle."What should we do with her stuff? he asked, looking around himself again."

"Well," Jake thought aloud, grateful for the subject change. "Ali needs a new bed and a dresser, so we can give those to her if you don't mind. I think that computer is pretty much shot. As for her clothes, we can donate them, maybe we can keep the pictures and books too for the kids, so they can at least see what she looked like when she was happy."

Charlie nodded, and walked out of the room. Before he could get all the way down the steps the door slowly opened and Sue walked in, with Ali and CJ on her heels. She was holding bags of food and drinks. Charlie took the drinks from her and walked into the kitchen. When everything was set on the table she hugged Charlie from behind and gave him a quick squeeze before releasing him. As Sue was getting the food out of the bag Jake came down the steps, only to be attacked by his children rolling around on the kitchen floor. He stood when Charlie cleared his throat and told them that it was time to eat.

Jake grabbed his three burgers and drinks, and told Charlie he had to go down to the rez to get a real mower, and that he would be back in a bit.

Walking into the little red house, Jake moved quickly to his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he sat at the foot of his bed, pulling the stack of photos out of his pocket. Quickly flipping through them all one last time, he stood again, and made way to the chest at the foot of his bed. He walked to the chest, lifted the lid, and placed them on top of all the memories he'd ever had of her. Then he turned around, and walked away.

That night, as the sun was setting, Sue was pulling out of the driveway, the kids already sleeping in their seats and the back of the SUV loaded with boxes of _her_ old clothes. Charlie and Jake were sitting on the back porch looking at their handy work. While Jake had cussed and fought with the lawn mower, having to mow the yard three different times to get it looking decent, Charlie had worked on putting the garage door back on its hinges and nailed down some loose boards on the deck. Once the yard and deck were done they sat and watched the kids play, while Sue cooked dinner with what pots and pans were left at the house.

"She's a good woman, Charlie," Jake said, breaking the silence between them.

Charlie looked at Jake, smiling as he nodded his head "Yeah, she is."

"You ever going to ask her to marry you?" Jake chuckled, when Charlie sputtered on his beer; it was now dribbling down his chin.

"I plan on it, when the time is right."

"I think the time is right now." Jake said, with a wink.

"Me too, son, me too," Charlie stated while nodding his head.

"I think it's the right time for you too, Jake." It was Charlie's turn to chuckle, as Jake's eyes bugged out and he too choked on his beer.

"I think so too, Charlie," he agreed, after he'd found his voice again. Charlie just nodded, and continued to chuckle quietly as he slapped Jake on the back.

One week later, and Jake was on the first date that he had ever been on since _she _left. He was nervous, and his palms were sweaty, but the girl was pretty and he knew she got along well with his kids... but, was it wrong to date their teacher? Jake didn't think so, and the day after his talk with Charlie he had walked up to Miss Stone, first name Lauren, and had asked her out on a date. With a full blown smile, she'd said yes and quickly hugged him with excitement, as the other teachers standing in the parking lot looked on in awe… When news broke out, _everyone _was in awe... _Jacob Black_ was dating.

**_So there ya go! I already have three pages of Chapter 12 finished, it's another Bella Chapter. Just wanted to let you guys know that I wrote a one shot for the Valentine's Day contest over on The Wolf Pack Adventures site. Check it out it's in the One Shot Contest group and it's called Just Another Night, it plays off the one shot I already have posted here called The Last Night. It's a EmbryXLeah pairing._**


	14. Chapter 12

**A/N: Finally Chapter 12. Sorry that this one took so long to get out, but RL happens, and writers block too. Because I felt bad I wanted to make it up to you and here it is, in all it's 18 page glory. I have a feeling this one is going to get you guys worked up, but we shall see.**

**Since I haven't done this in a while.**  
**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 12

Bella sighed, as she looked out at the water slowly moving down the bayou. She was trying to recall eight years her life, something she often found herself doing, especially lately; she hoped that if she thought of her past enough, that she would never forget it. Being so near to death all this time with Victoria, that was partly the reason behind her reminiscence. The other was that, in the hours after waking that first time in Mexico, Bella had realized that it wasn't Jake who she had seen in the room with her, it was Emmett. Upon this realization something inside Bella snapped, and she gave up, isolating herself; she completely shut herself off from everyone around her.

Once they relocated from Mexico to Colorado, she found that she could remember bits and pieces. She remembered the conversation she had had with Edward, when he chose to leave her and the Cullens once again; this time, though, he wasn't abandoning her for what he thought was her own good, but for his own good. Edward was still fighting an internal battle with himself; the need for blood was too much, especially in a city like Telluride. The family told him that they would come with him, support him, help him fight the monster within, but Edward knew that Bella needed them more, and so once again he had made the decision to remove only himself from her life.

Edward had walked into the room Bella was staying in, as she watched the leaves in the forest behind the house swaying in the wind. She never once looked at him while he talked to her; it was too hard for her to see him after what Victoria had made him do. She didn't hate Edward or blame him, not in the least, but she was scared of him. When he got to his feet and walked over to her she, could feel the hair on her arms stand on end, and when he gently pressed his hand to her shoulder she shrunk back into the cushion of the chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she remembered seeing his shoulders fall and his head hung closer to the floor. Before the door clicked closed she heard him whisper, once again, that he was sorry.

After Edward left, things got foggy for Bella; she couldn't remember much of anything. From what Emmett has told her, the years following his departure were bad for them all. They had lived in Telluride for only a couple of months, after which they'd decided to move yet again, as Carlisle suspected that the constant cold was the cause of Bella's night terrors. The overall decision was then made, and he gave his final notice to the local hospital and left the following morning. The family would move to California, the thought being that the warmth would help Bella, and eliminate the memories of the cold damp room that were currently seeping into her consciousness.

Disappointment came, when Bella would wrap herself in the thickest of covers and take showers so hot her skin would turn the darkest shade of red. The most disturbing things happened to her in California; she would wake, screaming in her sleep, and every time someone would come to her aid she would end up attacking them. She'd break her nails clawing at their stone faces, and once she even broke her wrist in the process of punching one of them. Her eyes would sometimes snap open, then, and she would scream out for Jake. The first time that Jake didn't come to her when she called him, was when Bella lost it. Jumping out of bed, she tore through her bedroom screaming his name. When it seemed as if she wasn't calming down, Carlisle had to sedate her.

After that first night the family had a talk, considering whether or not to call Charlie and let him know where Bella was and what was going on with her… But how could they do that without implicating their own kind? Bella had scars all over her body, and they knew Charlie would demand to know how they'd been put there and by what; Bella's wrists were riddled with silver half moons, and in some places full circles of teeth marks shone on her skin. But it was her back that was the worst of their worries. From her shoulder blades down to her tail-bone ran a humongous scar; not to mention that besides that, there were also the places where the staples had done their job of holding her together. How could they tell Charlie anything, even how she had managed to survive all that she'd endured?

It was a shock to all of them the second time Emmett touched her in Mexico when she screamed out to them. It had only been hours since Carlisle had cut her back open to clean the wound to prevent further infection and sew her back up, but her back had completely healed. All of it, the staples had to be removed because there was no further need for them, though Bella was still in pain. Her skin had grown back together so quickly that it was pulling just like any healing wound would. At the time they had to put her out, and constantly rub creams on her skin to smooth her, so as to not cause her pain when she moved.

It was decided that night that they wouldn't call Charlie until Bella was ready for him to know, because everything would have to be told, he would insist on it and the fact that Bella screamed out both Edward and Victoria's names in her sleep would not get past him. In truth they didn't want Charlie to know about them for their safety as well as his, but if Bella wanted everything told to him, they would do it.

As the years went by the tension built more between the Cullens; it was hard for them, in California, living in that type climate; the only time they could get out was at night, there weren't even rainy days, and while Carlisle thought the sun and the warmth would do her good, it clearly wasn't. She was still crying out and attacking in her sleep and it seemed the longer time went on the worse she got.

For more than a year Bella only saw Emmett as Jake. She always told him that he was warm and that she needed him. She would beg him to sleep in bed with her at night and hold her throughout the day. Jasper had tried to hold her but she would flinch away from him and when out of desperation they bought a heating blanket to wrap Bella in so that Emmett could hunt, at night she would cling to him nearly more often than not, making him reconsider hunting as she sobbed into his chest. Emmett's heart broke every time he would leave the house knowing he needed to hunt but hearing her beg and cry in the background not to. It was a cycle that none of them knew how to break. Emmett would hunt as quickly as he could, but when he got back to Bella there was a blank face and nothingness. Days would follow where Bella wouldn't eat or sleep, sometimes she wouldn't blink for so long that Esme would have to put drops in her eyes so they wouldn't dry out; she was catatonic, and there seemed to be nothing for it.

The times where Bella seemed sane enough to talk, which were few and far between, Esme would ask her if she wanted to go home, or if they should call Charlie. Bella would look at her with terror written all over her face and tell her no. He couldn't see her like this; none of them could. She didn't want her father or Jake to know what had happened to her, she didn't want to put them through the pain she was putting the Cullens through; she was a burden and she knew it. Then she would slip back into nothingness and Esme would wait for the next time hoping for her sake that at some point she would say yes. She never did.

The breaking point for Emmett in California was another night Bella had begged him to stay with her;

he was there holding her as she slept, while Rosalie watched on from the rocking chair, wondering if that would have been her life if she would have lived through her attack. When Bella started thrashing around in the bed Emmett sat her in his lap and held her tighter and when she started screaming for Jake Emmett couldn't handle it anymore; he told her he was there, and he forgave her for leaving and that he just wanted her back.

'Bella,' he'd said, trying his best to imitate Jake. 'I need you back, please Bella.'

Bella didn't wake, after that. She stopped fighting but then the fingers that were once digging into his ribs turned into gentle caresses, and he looked at Rose not know what he should do next. Whispering her love to Jake over and over, her arousal hit them both, and Rose's heart broke at the same time that her anger flared. Bella was kissing his neck and ripping the buttons off his shirt open, and in the next moment when her lips met his he was shocked so much that he let out the groan that he had desperately wanted to hold in.

Rose had flown from her seat and out the door. Emmett felt a rush of anger himself and stood up, throwing Bella back on the bed causing her head to smack into the hardwood headboard in the process. He was out of the room before he could smell the blood.

Emmett and Rose stayed away after that, which only made Bella worse. The Cullens didn't know what to do, Carlisle himself was stumped; they couldn't even take her to get help for fear their secret would be exposed. He ran tests of his own on Bella not really knowing what they could accomplish but he did it anyway.

Within the results Carlisle found his answer; when he tested her blood it showed that it had mass amounts of venom in it. He was shocked that they couldn't smell it moving within her. Looking closer at the samples of her blood and the venom Carlisle found something that he never had even considered before: different vampires had different properties in their venom, and while small traces of Edward's venom was found in Bella's system, Victoria's was almost overpowering her. The strangest thing about the vampire venom was that it showed up on all of the scans and where the fluid in her body was just black on the screen the venom was bright white in color. What scared them all the most was that it was everywhere, the blood had carried it to every one of her organs, her brain included. Something had to be done.

The night they left California, Bella was confused. Why were they moving? Esme sat down with Bella once the questions started she told Bella that Carlisle had been called into the board room that morning per the request of a Detective Alexander Walker. As soon as Carlisle was seated Detective Walker asked him flat out of he knew the location of one Isabella Marie Swan. Hearing the news Bella's hands had flown to her gaping mouth and she knew; Charlie had found them. He was coming for her and she was scared. So scared that she didn't let Esme finish her story when she bolted for the stairs and began tearing into her clothes stuffing them into her bags as quickly as she could. She was screaming at the Cullens that they needed to get out of there that they couldn't see her like this; she didn't want them to see.

When they arrived in their newest home Bella was in awe, the Cullens had purchased a Greek Revival Plantation home in a small town not far from Lafayette, Louisiana. The home was huge like the other homes the Cullens had owned; this one was by far her favorite. From what the realtor told them of the house it served as a hospital during the Civil War and barley survived only to be restored later.

On the property there was a main house and a detached guest house as well, which sat along a bayou and had acreage with it which would make hunting easy for the Cullens. It also wasn't far from Lafayette University and there was a hospital in town that Carlisle had begun working at. Instead of volunteering her time at the hospital like she normally would have Esme chose to stay home with Bella and care for her. She was still slipping in and out of herself. Some days Bella would be Bella and other days she would stare out the windows or just at the walls nearly all day.

After everyone was settled into the home Carlisle continued to run frequent tests on Bella, he decided that he was going to give her medicine to thin her blood hoping it would help the venom separate then hook her up to a dialysis machine to clean her blood. It was working ever so slowly but it was working nonetheless.

The one thing Carlisle didn't take into account when he had started with Bella was the fact that vampire venom, although it would separate from her blood like he thought it would, it would also regenerate. She was hooked to the dialysis machine three times a week, he was happy in the beginning just knowing that it was working, but as his tests showed it wasn't working fast enough, the venom was regenerating almost as quickly as her blood was being cleaned. Yet she showed improvement proving that it was still working.

Over the last five years Bella went from staring out windows and at the walls for hours on end to only losing herself for mere minutes here and there throughout the day. Her nightmares, although still a nightly occurrence, were getting better as well, she was no longer lashing out in her dreams or waking up screaming out Victoria's name in the middle of the night. It had been years since she had mistaken Emmett for Jake and for that both he and Rose were thankful. Though it had brought the three of them closer together. It surprised Bella that she and Rose were as close as they were.

Bella heard the door to her house open and turned peering down the hall. Alice danced down the hall and into the sitting room Bella was in. When Bella was well enough Carlisle thought it best that she be moved into the guest house, the main house although huge only had four bedrooms and Bella's room was cramped with all of the equipment Carlisle had bought to treat her. Wanting some sort of privacy and independence she agreed.

Moving in the guest house was one of the best things that Bella could have done. She knew the Cullens could hear her as the guest house was only furthest from the pool and away from the main house but she was happy and almost felt like the adult that she now was.

Alice made her way into the room still noticing Bella standing watching the water ripple from the warm wind outside. She could smell the smoke from the fireplace- this small guest house had three of them, one in the sitting room, the kitchen and the bedroom that Bella had slept in. It seemed they were always lit; Bella was still so cold, Carlisle contributed it to the vampire venom in her body although it puzzled him that as the years passed her body temperature was still slowly dropping.

Staring out the window Bella drew in a breath; Alice knew what she was going to ask beforehand, but waited.

"Have you seen him today?"

Alice was nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement and couldn't help when she squealed, "I have!"

Noting the excitement in her voice Bella turned to see Alice smiling and still bouncing in place. It must be good.

Rushing toward Alice but stopping so no contact was made she noticed the flick of pain shoot across Alice's face before she quickly recovered.

"Well, tell me where was he, is he ok?" Bella was shocked at the excitement bubbling up within her.

"He was in his cruiser as usual, but the vision was a good one he was so happy, Bella, I wish you could have seen him, he had a smile on his face and I swear his eyes were twinkling!"

Bella felt the tears start to pool in her eyes, blinking them back she didn't dare fight the smile that made it onto her face. Charlie was happy; she had waited for news like this for a while now.

Bella had been asking Alice to look in on both Charlie and Renee. Alice could get visions of Charlie but they were always few and short. He was almost always at work, never at home, which meant he was always in cop mode, but this news was good, Bella couldn't help but wonder what he was so happy about.

Renee was a different story entirely, Alice had never met her so she was never able to have any visions of Renee but to her shock two years ago Rose and Emmett both went to Jacksonville, the last place Bella knew her to be and searched for her. They found her working at a day-care center and after following her for days they told Bella that she seemed happy, and that she and Phil were still married, and that he wasn't playing baseball but coaching a minor league team. The night they returned they brought pictures with them. Emmett thought it was the greatest thing in the world to break into her house to steal pictures for Bella. Rose thought Emmett was an idiot because what kind of thief would only steal pictures. Upon copying every picture in the album they found and the one Emmett had stolen off the wall she made him take them back.

When they handed Bella the album, she thought her heart was going to explode. There, on the first page, was a picture of her twins sitting at a bonfire on their father's lap. _Jake_. Ali had her hair in braids one on each side and was missing a single front tooth while CJ was missing both and his hair too was in braids. She smiled because Jake hadn't cut it. She realized the picture was new when her eyes met the cake two sets of hands were holding, it was split down the middle with one side sporting a cowgirl theme, the other a football theme, but what held Bella's attention was the little wax number that was smashed between the line of icing down the middle. _Six_. Her children were six years old.

She had taken the rest of the pictures from Emmett and Rose, clutching them to her chest as she made her way back to her house. Sitting near the fire she must have flipped through that album a hundred times trying to memorize every detail she could. Renee didn't have a lot of pictures of Jake or the kids, maybe in another album, but the few she did have were good enough for Bella. The rest of the pictures were of her childhood- with Renee in Arizona, a picture or two of her and Charlie when had come down to visit her when she stopped going to Forks, and there were a few pictures of her when she arrived at Forks. Bella gasped at the picture of her and Edward at the prom, and cried at the picture of her and Edward at her 18th birthday party before everything went to hell. It seemed as if Edward didn't think that Bella would have sent them to anyone. The tears Bella had been holding fell when she flipped to the last page of the album; there, written in Rose's elegant writing, was a line of numbers: Renee's phone number.

Bella reached for Alice's hands. When they made contact Alice stood frozen until Bella squeezed letting Alice know that she was ok, in the next instant Bella was in Alice's arms and she was jumping them both up and down. The emotions hit Jasper like a tidal wave and as he was running out the door everyone else in the house started to follow. Blowing through the door and down the hall he too froze at the sight before him. Bella and Alice were hugging, Bella crying and Alice still squealing. He could feel the joy and shock coming from Alice, but he smiled when he felt Bella's emotions. She too was happy, happier than she had been in all the years that they had been together.

Leaning up against a wall he threw his arm out when Emmett came charging into the room thinking something was going on with Bella; he was protective like that. But he and the rest of the Cullens and now Thomas were watching the display. Carlisle smiled; Esme grabbed Rose's hand and squeezed gaining her attention.

After nearly ten minutes of screaming and jumping around Emmett grew impatient like he always did and asked what the fuss was about. When both Alice and Bella answered at the same time they both burst into a fit of laughter, then Alice told them of her vision. Emmett quirked his brow, as Alice explained about Charlie. Charlie smiling had such a big affect on Bella, but Emmett still didn't fully get it, though it was huge that she was letting Alice touch her; for the longest time, it'd only been Alice, Thomas and Jasper that Bella wouldn't allow that close to her.

The Cullens stayed with Bella that night, stunned by the fact that Bella wouldn't stop talking. Soon after the squealing and explaining about Charlie, Bella went into the kitchen to cook something to eat. Once they finished dinner Bella leaned over, grabbing the now ratty album off the coffee table and began to tell them everything that she could remember about each of the pictures it held.

When she came to the picture of her kids and Jake at their birthday she choked up while stroking his face in the picture. She wanted to tell them everything she could about him, Jasper knew she was on the verge of breaking down and it seemed that Rose noticed too. Grabbing the picture from Bella's hand she studied the picture closely. Looking at the smile that lit his face, Bella had told them it wasn't her smile, that her smile on him was bigger, better and brighter just like the sun, but she could still tell that he was happy. She noticed his short spiky hair and his skin it so golden it glistened against the fire light. He was good looking, Rose hated to admit- she wondered at the same time what Bella had ever seen in Edward. Between him and Jake, they were two completely different individuals.

"If he wasn't a dog, I think I may have given you competition," Rose stated in a matter of fact way while thrusting the picture back at Bella.

As Bella reached back for the picture, her mouth popped open as well as Emmett's, and Rose just shrugged nonchalantly, "He is a dog though, of course, so no worries." Rose shot her a wink as she stood, grabbed Emmett's hand, and walked out of the house.

The months that followed were good for Bella, just hearing the news that Charlie was happy made Bella realize that she too wanted to be happy, or as close to it as she really could get. She signed up for writing classes as at an extension office, and even put in applications around town. Carlisle and Esme both encouraged her to do the things she wanted to do, and Alice helped in her own way. Bella was nervous the first time she went out; it had been years since Bella had actually let herself be around other people. Years since she would wear something besides sweats and the thickest wool blanket or robe she could find. Alice had bought her an entire wardrobe, Bella of course put up a fight when she found out the money Alice had spent and even more so when she saw the clothes- making the exception, and not wanting to push Bella too far, Alice bought normal clothes with very few designer labels; she'd told Bella she couldn't help it, and Bella gave in after that.

Knowing that Bella was uncomfortable with the scars on her wrist Alice bought her numerous leather cuffs or watches with a cuff as a band the covered the scars on her wrists perfectly; but, Alice being Alice, she stated that the clothes had to match so Bella was now the owner of numerous skinny jeans tank tops and pull over shirts, i addition to the dozen other numerous selections in her wardrobe. Alice said it was edgy, Bella thought it was comfortable, and comfortable made her happy.

The Cullens minus Alice were sitting in the living room waiting on the weekly call from Edward when they heard the door slide slowly open. Bella had just gotten back from work. Not long after she had put her application in at the small bakery and catering company in town they had called her back hiring her on the spot. They needed the help as the new school year was starting and most of the old employees had graduated or quit over the summer.

Jasper could sense the nervousness flowing off of her and he quirked his eyebrow at Alice, who walked out from behind Bella and grabbed his hand smiling a sad smile. Clearing her throat before she came fully into the room Bella stood shifting back and forth on her feet. All eyes were on her; her heart began to beat at the quickest pace they had heard it in a long time and all of the Cullens stood, though Alice had decided to sit.

"I…" Bella looked around the room and began to wring her hands and fidget. "I want to go home" It came out as a whisper and her head dropped.

Esme gasped out in shock and excitement. Carlisle held her close and he too was now wearing a smile. Rose and Emmett's faces were blank, not angry or upset but just blank.

"Oh Bella we're so happy," Esme gushed while rushing to her side, then her smile waned, before finally disappearing, as Bella said, "You want me to leave?" Her nervousness having turned to sadness at hearing Esme's words.

"No, no, that's not how I meant it, dear. We loving having you with us, but we hoped some day you would go home to your family. Bella, Charlie will be so happy to see you I'm sure he's been a wreck these past years and you'll get to see your children!"

Emmett coughed and stole Bella's attention, as he asked, "What made you decide?"

Bella met eyes with Carlisle as she spoke, "I'm getting better I think we all know that." Carlisle nodded for her to continue. "When I was at work today a girl my age came in with the request that we prepare the food for her father's wake" A tear slid down her cheek. "He was Charlie's age, and I'm getting better, and I can't not go and at least let him know that I am okay, well as okay as I think I am going to get."

"Then you need to go" Rose said while nodding at Bella. "You know that he is healthy and happy now thanks to Alice and her recent visions of him, go home and let him know you are still here and you love him, he deserves that."

"Carlisle do you think I'm okay to go? I don't think I'll stay long, but what am I going to do about the treatments and my medicine?"

"I'm glad you asked, Bella. Alice had the vision you were going to be leaving us soon, I took the liberty of purchasing a portable machine for you." He stated while walking out of the room, presumably to get the machine from his office.

After making the travel and hotel arrangements with Alice, Bella left the main house. Walking into her house and closing the door Bella leaned her back against it and smiled. She was scared and nervous all at the same time, but she missed Charlie and hearing the girl today made her nearly have an attack right there in front of her. Knowing that she was doing better how could she not at least see Charlie and let him know that she was alright? She didn't want to be lost to her family anymore and the thought of never seeing Charlie again and him possibly dying without knowing she was okay had been plaguing her since this afternoon.

Pushing off the door, Bella made her way down the hall and began to pack. Just she was dragging the zipper closed she heard a knock on her bedroom door, Thomas stood in the frame with a slight smile on his face.

"You ready? I'll get your bag; Alice is going to drive us to Lafayette to catch the plane."

Bella nodded while heaving the bag off the bed, making her way across the room she stopped when she noticed Thomas holding out his hand, "Your bag, I'll get it for you. It looks heavy."

Bella dropped the bag and made a wide arch around him, she was worried how this was going to work out, she hadn't been around Thomas alone in a long time and she wasn't really sure if she trusted him or if that being around him wouldn't bring Victoria back. She knew either way, however, that she had to do this for Charlie. Thomas had offered to come with her, to help with her treatments while she was away.

The normal forty five minute car ride to Lafayette was only twenty minutes thanks to Alice, and when Bella looked in the rear-view at Thomas he almost looked green. Alice shot her a smile and a wink, "We wouldn't have taken my car if I knew he wasn't going to get sick."

Seven hours later Thomas and Bella were stepping off the plane at the small airport in Port Angeles, looking around the runway they noticed a car with a woman standing beside it. Walking in the direction the woman ushered them in and they waited for their bags to be loaded. They had reservations at one of the hotels on the pier and as soon as Bella and Thomas were settled in he hooked her up to the machine and began her treatment. While waiting for the treatment to end Bella told Thomas that she knew they wouldn't be able to make it to Forks before it got too late, so the plan was to wake up in the early morning hopefully before Charlie could get to work or fishing, and catch him.

Bella woke with a knocking at the door. Shuffling across the room while rubbing her eyes the knocking continued. Swinging the door open she couldn't help but smile at the sight, Thomas was pushing a little cart full of every food that they no doubt had at the small breakfast buffet downstairs.

"I don't think I am going to eat that much."

Pushing the car slowly past her making sure to stay away from her as far as he could without running into anything Thomas stopped when he got the middle of the room. "I didn't think you could, but this was what was left of the morning buffet, I grabbed what I could before they cleared it out, it doesn't last long."

Looking behind her Bella noticed that the clock read nine fifteen. Grabbing a small stack of pancakes from the tray Bella shoved them into her mouth, how could she have slept so late.

Between chewing and trying to wiggle into the tight jeans Bella saw food fly out of her mouth while asking Thomas why he didn't wake her earlier.

"You needed the sleep, don't you remember you nearly passed out after your treatment, I was almost worried about leaving you in the room by yourself."

Using her fingers to shove the rest of the pancakes into her mouth she nodded her head slipped on her shoes and coat and walked toward the door. Pushing the food down her throat she looked back at Thomas who was picking over the tray.

"We need to get going it takes about an hour to drive to Forks from here and Charlie is either going to be working or already out on the boat if we take too long."

Thomas followed her out of the hotel through the parking lot to the rental car; making his way to the passenger side of the car he noticed that Bella wasn't opening her door as well. Looking back he saw Bella standing by the trunk.

"Aren't you going to get in?"

"I've haven't driven a car in years." It was true and she was sad to admit it. The last car she had driven was well not a car at all, it was her monster of a truck, and it was before she was put on bed rest with the twins, Alice always drove Bella to school or work and when they went shopping.

"No time like the present." Thomas gestured toward the driver's side.

"I don't know if I remember how." It sounded stupid and Bella knew it, but it had been so long, how could she have gone so long without even driving a car?

"You will, come on you said we needed to go didn't you? Well, let's go, besides I have no idea where anything is around here I'd probably get us lost in the woods."

The last words registered and made Bella swiftly move to the front of the car, they couldn't get lost in the woods.

Falling into the driver's seat Bella took a deep breath noticing the new car smell. Reaching out in front of her she felt around for the bar to pull the seat forward and didn't catch anything. Leaning back with a puzzled look on her face Thomas chuckled, and Bella glared.

"It's on the side of the seat."

Running her fingers along the side of the leather seat Bella felt the switch she was searching for and pressed it forward, until it wouldn't move forward anymore. Looking to her left she noticed that Thomas was shaking in silent laughter and scowled at him. "It's not funny okay? I can't help being short."

By the time they made it to the gas station just a few blocks down the street, Thomas wasn't laughing anymore and Bella thought she had whiplash, what was up with these new cars?

Thomas went inside to pay for the gas that Bella decided she wanted to pump and pick up a few snacks and some drinks. As Bella was fighting the hair out of her face a rumble of laughter caused her to stiffen. Slowly turning on her heel Bella squeaked and jumped behind the pump peering round at something she never really thought she would see but desperately wished she would.

_Jake._

She silently thanked god then and there for the wind blowing in the direction that it was because he surely would have noticed her scent, wouldn't he? The wind carried his laugh along with it, and it slammed into her like a truck. She couldn't take her eyes off of him; he was walking down the sidewalk with a smile on his face - _her_ smile; he as laughing too. Her heart melted at the sound of his laughter and she barely noticed the tears streaking down her cheeks. Her breath caught again though, when something interrupted her vision of him, the back of another person's head, which held a ponytail, medium long brown hair sweeping from side to side as Jake's hands locked around the person's waist, pulling the body closer to him. Then he kissed her, her arms slid around his neck, his hands pushing into the back pocket of her jeans drawing her ever closer to him. Bella watched on, unable to pull herself away, all she could see of Jake were his golden toned forearms and the muscles in them flexing with every tug of _her_ jeans. When he pulled the girl in between two buildings Bella couldn't help but to walk out from behind the pump and across the parking lot to watch. Standing behind a sign Bella watched as Jake pinned the girl up against the brick wall of the building they were standing in front of. He pulled his hand out of her back pocket and let it roam down her thigh as he hitched it up and over his hip, pressing himself into her. His lips never left hers and her arms never dropped from his neck.

Bella felt something, in that moment, something she hadn't felt in years and it shocked her; it was a tingle in her lower belly. She was confused by this, how was watching the love of her life grinding against someone else in an alley turning her on. But it all became clear when she refocused on the couple and realized that it was _her_ and Jake and instead of being nearly eye level with the woman he was now looming over the top of her, kissing her and nipping along her jaw, her leg was still hitched around his hip and she was smiling now her head pressed into the building while his kisses moved down her neck.

Bella felt a warm hand come down on her shoulder, and she jumped a foot into the air screeching as she went. The noise promptly stopped Jake's make-out session and sent him out from between the buildings and her dashing back behind the sign. She thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest; Thomas looked startled as well.

"What the hell are you doing?" she whisper yelled.

"I came out of the gas station to a puddle under the car and no you in sight, I thought…. what the hell are _you_ doing?" he snapped back.

Looking around the sign he noticed a crowd had gathered across the street, the people that were eating at the little café were all outside looking around, and when Bella grabbed his shirt and pulled him behind the sign with her he was shocked.

"It's _him_, he's…..he's right there, with his imp…girlfriend." It had to be his imprint, right? His loud laugh, her smile on his face, the way they were touching each other in public, she knew Jake was affectionate, but he never even touched her like that when they were out.

"Him who? Bella are you okay?" Thomas asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Him! Jake him!"

Thomas quickly shifted to the side to look, Bella saw his eyes grow wide.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"He's coming over here, what do you want to do?"

"Shhh! God, he can probably hear you!" she whispered in a panic.

"God we need to get out of here like now" Then she heard a car horn which made her jump a little and then a female voice yelling his name. Peeking out from behind the sign, she saw the look on his face. He was staring right at the gas station parking lot, but the girl was pulling him back while a car sat in the middle of the road the driver yelling at Jake out the window.

Giving up Jake slowly backed out of the middle of the road and onto the side walk. The girl was running her hands over his face, but he wasn't looking at her he was still looking at the parking lot. When his name fell off her lips with worry behind him he turned his head toward her and shot her a smile and from what Bella could tell told her he was okay. The girl threw herself into one of the open seats still holding onto his hand and Bella could tell that she had sighed. Jake knelt down in front of the girl, dropping a kiss to her lips, then whispering something into her ear; she shook her head as she smiled and watched him as he walked away.

Bella stood as she watched Jake walk down the sidewalk and when he turned into a store Bella started to walk after him but was stopped when she felt Thomas's hand on her once again startling her into stopping.

"Do you really want to do that?"

"Can you please-?" she didn't have to finish her sentence before Thomas took off walking in the direction Jake went.

Straightening her clothes Bella looked at the rental car, the gas station attendant was sweeping up the powder she had sprinkled on the spilt gas to clean it up. Bella walked over to her telling her she was sorry and slipping her some money she got in the car and parked it in one of the spaces closer to the store.

She then found herself walking over to the girl, the closer she got the more Bella realized that this girl was perfect for Jake. She was almost as tall as him she knew that, she was beautiful with her long brown hair and lighter skin, as she got closer she could hear the girl telling the waitress her order it was a big one and it made Bella smile. Stopping in front of the table Bella took the girl in even more now that she was closer in proximity, her eyes were a shade of green Bella had almost never seen before-they looked like her mom's birthstone, the peridot- she had freckles on her skin, too; Bella was almost jealous. She remembered a time when she was younger that she wished for as much as a birthmark to adorn her pale skin. When the girl looked up at Bella and smiled she couldn't help but smile back. There was no way this girl wasn't Jake's imprint, they matched in every way even her smile matched Jake's.

Stuffing her hands into her pocket Bella shifted on her feet. Not knowing what to say but wanting to say something at the same time, she was saved when the girl spoke first.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh, yeah… I….I'm new in town and was wondering if there were any good places to eat?" Bella wanted to smack herself- really? A place to eat? She was sitting outside of a café for god's sake.

The girl was still smiling when she told her the numerous places she knew of around town, Bella shivered when the girl mentioned the restaurant where Edward had taken her for the first time.

Gesturing toward the chair in front of her the girl asked, "Did you want to sit?"

Pulling out the chair while looking back down the sidewalk she knew she shouldn't she could get caught, but she couldn't help it at the same time. If this girl was Jake's imprint that meant that he was happy, it meant that her kids were happy. The thought warmed Bella but stung at the same time.

Sipping her drink Bella could clearly see the girl waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't answer as she was still taking her in; Bella couldn't take her eyes off of her. The sight of Jake being so happy and the thought of her children happy as well wouldn't stop coming up in her mind.

"So, are you in town on business or visiting family?" She asked while taking a drink of her hot tea.

"Business," Bella blurted out before she stopped herself. She was quickly realizing that she couldn't see Charlie, if Jake found out that she was here she knew what he would do: either he would fight the imprint, or he would send Bella away at once and tell her to never return. She couldn't do that to him, to let him see her only to send her away again or worst of all try to fight the imprint breaking the girl's heart and her children's as well.

"Oh really, what kind of business?" The girl was interested and not just making conversation.

"I own a bakery down south and was considering buying another, maybe starting a chain," Bella stumbled on her lie.

"Really, my friend Emily just opened a bakery in a town not far from here, it's in La Push."

Nodding her head Bella felt the tears start to well up in her eyes. She pushed up from her seat not wanting the girl to bear witness to her falling apart. Seeing Jake was one thing, thinking about her children another, but knowing Emily was her friend had confirmed it for Bella, this was his imprint and she had to leave before she ruined everything for him.

"I…um, I've got to go. Running late, you know" Bella said while turning away.

With a bewildered look on her face the girl stood as well. "It was nice meeting you; I'm Lauren by the way."

With a quick nod, Bella took off. Walking across the street she noticed Thomas already standing by the car. She panicked and picked up her pace while throwing the hood of her coat up over her head. Hitting the unlock button as she jogged toward the car she threw the door open and jumped into the seat, growing impatient as Thomas slowly slid into his side as well as she started the car. Slamming the car in reverse she nearly hit a car behind her in her haste to leave the parking lot. Thomas was clutching the dash and yelling something at her, but she wasn't paying attention, she had to get out of there and she had to do it now. She considered bypassing the hotel all together, but the drive had calmed her down just enough for his voice to register and when his hand touched hers on the stirring wheel she completely snapped out of it.

Shooting her head to the side she glared at him. "What were you doing back there, he could have caught me?"

"No he wouldn't, when he left the tux shop he headed over to a car parts store and was talking to a younger man about parts for dirt bikes." The two words Thomas spoke stabbed her in the chest. Tux… was he getting married? And dirt bikes, was it really possible that Jake had kept them all this time. She didn't know and she never would.

It was like she was on autopilot again; Bella hadn't realized that she was sitting in the hotel parking lot with her foot on the brake until Thomas reached over and put the car in park for her causing it to roll slightly forward.

"He was renting a tux" she stated casting a glance in his direction.

"Yeah, and it was crazy expensive. That guy is huge, Bella."

"Did he say if he was getting married or not?"

"No, all he said was I'm Jacob Black here to pick up my tux. He wasn't really in there long; he got his tux and walked to the car parts store. I left him there so I could come and find you. Are you ok, Bella, I saw you talking to the girl he was with, did she say something to you? Recognize you?"

Sighing Bella pressed the palm of her hands into her face. Opening the door she climbed out and began walking across the parking lot and to her room, before the door could click closed Thomas was there getting her medicine out of the bag. It was still early in the day but Bella was tired and she really just wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep.

After she took the medicine Thomas gave her she told him that she was tired and wanted to sleep. When he opened his mouth she answered fore him, "We're not going to see Charlie, not anymore."

He sat down in the seat in front of her putting his elbows on his knees, "Bella you know you have to talk about this, right? I mean I know you are getting better but you drove all the way back here with a blank expression on your face, you almost ran two stop lights and you didn't blink once. Don't let whatever it is she said to you set you back, get it out don't let it bottle up."

Nodding her head Bella scooted back on the bed curled up and pulled what she could of the comforter over her. Thomas stood shooting her one last glance as he grabbed the spare key to her room off the top of the TV and walked out the door. He would have to call Carlisle about this for sure.

Once in his room he made his way over to the phone and dialed the Cullens. Carlisle picked up at the first ring and Thomas told him what was going on with Bella, well as much as he knew anyway. When Carlisle told him that he had suspected something like that would happen Thomas was shocked that they even agreed that it would be a good idea for her to go in the first place knowing there was a possibility that she would slide back into her old ways. Carlisle shocked him again when he told Thomas to sedate Bella and just let her sleep until morning when they would leave to come home; it really would be the best for her.

After the phone call with Carlisle ended Thomas went into Bella's room and already found her half uncovered and whimpering Jake's name in her sleep. Moving to the bed he pulled her shoes off pushed the hood of her coat off her head, and carefully lifting her legs he placed them under the covers. After tucking her in he slipped the needle out of his pocket and gave her the sedative knowing she would be out most of the day and hopefully late into the night.

Now that Bella was sleeping in her room Thomas had to figure out what he was going to do the rest of the day. As he sat he thought about how close he was to his old home. Seattle was only a couple of hours away and he considered driving there, for what reason he really didn't know. It wasn't like his family was still there to visit. Shaking those thoughts from his mind he was determined to help Bella do what she had come here to do, to see her father.

"Excuse me, Miss?" Thomas said while waving the front desk clerk toward him.

Shuffling out of the back office she made her way to the desk with a smile plastered on her face. "Yes can I help you with something sir?"

"Yes actually you can, I have to step out for a bit I have an important meeting that I need to attend, but my friend is pretty ill. I'm a doctor and I gave her a pretty strong dose of cold medicine hoping the sleep would help her. Is there anyway you could tell her that I have stepped out for a couple of hours if she were to wake?"

Nodding before he had finished his sentence he continued. "My room number is 215 and hers is 217 they are adjoining rooms, if she needs anything please have her call this number for me please." Slipping her his business card with his cell phone number on it Thomas began to turn when a thought struck him.

"How far is Forks from here, Miss?"

"Oh it's just a ways down the highway it's about an hour away, do you need a map or directions?"

"Yes that would be great."

Unfolding the map on the counter the clerk highlighted the route which was easy enough to follow, "Hop on the 101 and you should be there in no time."

An hour later Thomas passed the Welcome to Forks sign, it was easy getting here, now to find her father. Thomas knew that he was the Chief of Police eight years ago when Bella was last here, but would he still be in that position now. Pulling into a small diner on the side of the road Thomas parked the car and walked in; as soon as the bell clanged every head in the place turned his way. It seemed this town didn't get a lot of visitors, and while everyone looked friendly enough he felt a little uncomfortable with every one starring at him so he quickly walked to the bar and sat down. When the waitress came by a steaming pot of coffee in hand he cleared his throat thinking it was now or never. "Excuse me, could you tell me where the police station is located?"

The waitress smiled sweetly at him and started giving directions when the bell clanged again, stopping in the middle of her directions a smile appeared on her face and she looked at Thomas, "Well, instead of me giving you directions you could just get them from the source. Paul, someone's here wanting directions to the station."

Turning in the seat Thomas noticed a man looking very much like Jacob walking toward him, he was tall with tan skin, short spiky hair, built almost exactly like him not as broad, but still huge, this man though looked like he was just a little bit pissed off and it really didn't help that as he walked over to him his hand was resting on the gun in his utility belt. Thomas stood slowly, not wanting to rouse any kind of unfavorable reaction, and extended his hand as he introduced himself, "Hi, I'm John Moore."

It was a lie of course; well most of it, his last name was Moore. Thomas felt the huge overly heated hand envelope his and his eyes widened. Was it possible to get a burn from skin to skin contact? "Officer Meraz," the man grunted out. Dropping Thomas's hand the officer looked down at him "Is there a problem, John, you seem new to the area are you lost or is there another reason why you want to know where the station is?"

"Actually I was looking for Chief Swan."

Paul's eyebrows shot up before the pissed off looked returned to his face, "And why's that?"

Thomas's heart began to pick up its pace when he couldn't think of a lie quick enough, and when Paul cocked an eyebrow at him he panicked "It's about Renee" Thomas blurted out before he really knew what he was saying and when he glanced a look back at Paul he saw that he wasn't any more pissed off looking than he was before so it was safe to say that he got her name right.

"Is something wrong with Renee or Phil?" Paul asked still looking somewhat suspicious.

"No we're just friends she and I in Florida, I told her about business that I had to do in Port Angeles and she told me that her ex-husband had lived here and she went on and on about him and his fishing since I too am fond of the sport. She thought he would be able to show me some good fishing spots while I was here." Thomas really didn't know the shit that was coming out of his mouth, but he thanked god that he listened to Bella enough on the rare occasions that she had talked about both of her parents, it was enough to soften the pissed off look in Paul's face and so that was a very good thing.

"He's not in today actually, he is fishing with an old friend of his. They're either on the Sol Duc or the Bogachiel River today, he normally doesn't get back before sunset, but he carries a cell in case of emergency. You want me to give him a call?"

Shaking his head Thomas really didn't want to leave without seeing for himself that Charlie was in fact okay, but he really couldn't stay much longer than he already had. It was getting to be late afternoon and even though he did sedate Bella before he left he didn't really want to chance her waking up with him being so far away.

"Maybe another time then." Nodding his head at the waitress and pulling a ten out of his pocket for the untouched coffee he stood to walk out of the diner.

"Do you have a card or anything I can give him since you are going to be in the area? I could tell him Renee sent someone looking for him."

"No but I am staying at The Olympic Lodge in Port Angeles, I'm in room 215 if he wants to give me a call this evening when he gets in that would be great."

With yet another grunt from the officer, Thomas walked closer to the door, as an elderly woman was pulling it open the papers on the nearby cork board flew in all directions fighting against the pins holding them down. Thomas's eyes were met with a Missing Person poster, the face on the poster was a once happy looking Bella. Scanning the room quickly it seemed all eyes were now back on their plates, Thomas quickly snatched the poster from the board, thankful that someone had half covered it with an announcement flyer.

An hour later Thomas was once again pulling into the hotel parking lot and making his way inside. Stopping at one of the local restaurants he had ordered something for both himself and for Bella. If she wasn't awake yet, he was hoping that if she woke sometime during the night she would be hungry.

Thomas made sure to stop at the front desk and let the clerk know that he was back, and that he needed a wake up call at ten in the morning so they wouldn't miss their return flight. Once on the second floor Thomas walked past his door and stopped at Bella's, slowly slipping the key into the lock he peered inside her room, it was dark since the shades were drawn which meant she still must be sleeping. Walking over to the small microwave Thomas placed her take out containers in and wrote her a note that there was food inside and that if she needed anything to knock on the door.

After eating his meal, Thomas placed another call to the Cullens this time though Alice picked up the phone. Before he could even speak she was shooting off questions left and right. She couldn't see him at all while he was driving and she had been freaked out enough to begin making arrangements of her own to come to Port Angeles. When Thomas told her what had happened there was dead silence on her end of the phone.

"Alice" Thomas whispered into the phone.

"I'm here, it's just…. He hasn't given up looking for her."

"No I don't think he has."

"Do you think he is going to call you tonight, get in touch with you? What are you going to say to him?"

"I don't really know, I hadn't really thought that far ahead, I just wanted to see for myself that he was happy and okay and hopefully tell Bella. She didn't handle today well; I'm a bit worried about her."

"I am too, but you will be home tomorrow and maybe she'll snap out of it?"

"I hope so, listen Alice I don't mean to run you off but I haven't had a shower since we arrived and I'm pretty tired as well I think I am just going to go to sleep. We'll be on the twelve o'clock flight out."

"Night" Alice said and with a click all he heard was the dial tone.

Thomas was roused out of his sleep, smacking the alarm clock near his head he frowned when he realized it wasn't the alarm clock that was making the noise. The clock was blaring one twenty-two a.m. Thomas heard the noise again and realized it was a knock coming from the door that joined his and Bella's rooms. Throwing the covers off himself he quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open.

Bella stood in the same clothes she had on earlier, but he noticed her hair was flat on the side of her head, her eyes red and puffy.

"Are you ok Bella, is there something I can get for you?"

She shook her head and walked past him into his room. Sitting on the edge of the untouched bed Bella looked up at Thomas and told him that she was fine.

Worry creased his brow as he made his way back to her. When he knelt down in front of her, her eyes met his and more tears spilled over her cheeks. Standing, Thomas walked to the kitchenette in his room. Pulling the paper towels off the roll he made his way back to Bella and handed them to her. The second the paper touched her cheek everything from that day poured out of her. The entire conversation with Jake's girlfriend, and her feelings about the whole situation, she told Thomas that she didn't really know what she was feeling that it was just one big jumbled mess. She knew she was happy that Jake had found someone and moved on and that her kids were happy, but at the same time she still loved him and her kids and the thought of someone else living the life she should have been living all along broke her heart.

As Bella sat sobbing Thomas didn't really know what to do, he wanted to be able to comfort her and tell her that what she was feeling was normal and that it would work out some how, but he also knew that their past was a rocky one and that Bella still wasn't really comfortable around him. When Bella asked him to hold her he froze, and when she walked over to him and hugged him herself he wrapped his arms around her and comforted her.

The comforting then turned to Bella asking questions of her own. And they were questions that Thomas really didn't want to answer, though he knew that he would answer her, if only because Bella had already told him things about her past and it seemed right for him to do the same.

When she asked him why he came back to the Cullens after Mexico he too had tears in his eyes. He told her the story of him going home to Seattle, how it seemed that in the years he had been away what little family he had didn't want anything to do with him anymore. How they thought he had walked out on his newly pregnant wife, whom he told Bella he found out was killed in a freak accident; Thomas knew without a doubt that the so-called accident had been orchestrated by none other than Victoria's own hand. She had taken everything from him, and what she didn't take was ruined. Thomas didn't know the Cullens that much but he knew just from the small amount of time that he had spent with them that they were nice and that he could trust them, so he stayed.

By the time Thomas was done telling Bella about himself he looked at the clock realizing that it was nearing four a.m. When he told Bella they should sleep she sunk down in the bed and asked him if she could sleep with him. When he moved to get out of the bed she pulled him to her side looking him in the eyes and she asked him to stay. So he did.

As Thomas lay looking at the ceiling he couldn't really tell if Bella was sleeping or not but he suspected that she wasn't, it was confirmed when she rolled from her back onto her side, and his body tensed when her hand landed on his stomach. Looking over at Bella he could see a longing in her eyes and it made him feel uncomfortable. Sure in the beginning before the hell with Victoria Thomas had thought Bella was attractive and in all reality he still did, but he knew what the look from her was about and she was giving him that look for all the wrong reasons.

When his hand slid down to hers he began to lift it off and Bella whispered 'Please' in a broken voice; he shifted to look at her. Both laying on their sides looking into each others eyes, they knew what they were doing, it wasn't right that they were about to do it, but they both had holes in their heart, him for his family and she for hers and they both wanted something to fill those holes even if it was just for a night.

Thomas moved his hand slowly up the bed between them; he tentatively cupped her cheek while staring into her eyes searching for any indication that she was forcing herself not to flinch back at his hand. There wasn't, and so while keeping his eyes open he slowly scooted closer to her, as his face grew near hers he watched as her lids fluttered closed. Ever so lightly he brushed his lips against hers. They were warm unlike the rest of her body which was now shivering with cold yet they as soft as he thought they might be. When he began to draw away he felt her hand slip into the hair on the back of his head and draw him back in to her. This time, she deepened the kiss. He didn't want to push her, but once her tongue swiped his lower lip, he opened his mouth.

With slow gentle strokes their tongues caressed one another, and he felt Bella shift closer to him. Her leg lifted when she shifted over, and he let his leg slip between hers, his knee rubbing her warmth. When she gasped into his mouth he once again began to pull back. Her fingers tightened in his hair and he heard her whisper to him to stay.

When he shifted closer to her his knee rubbed her again and Bella thought she was going to come undone. It had been nearly nine years since she had done anything like this with anyone before the babies, and the only person she had shared moments like this with had been with Jake. But she knew those moments would never come again, and she knew making love with Thomas wasn't going to heal her breaking heart. But Jake was moving on and he was happy, so why couldn't she be happy too, if even just for a little while?

Bella's hands moved to the hem of the white night shirt he was wearing and slowly began to pull it up, she let her pinky finger run the length of him, but only the side of his stomach and along his ribs, keeping their lips connected Thomas sat them both up so that Bella could remove his shirt. When the shirt was at his neck their lips parted and she pulled it the rest of the way off letting it fall on the bed behind him. She wanted to see him.

Other than the pack, and once Edward, she had never fully taken in a man. When she pulled back her eyes widened with shock, and an 'Oh my god' fell from her mouth along with a sad cry. There, running from his left shoulder blade down to his right hip bone, were four sliver scars. Thomas's chest was heaving as Bella's hand slowly reached towards him. When her fingers were placed over the scars he felt the heat of her touch and Bella felt the cold coming of them, "Victoria," dripped from her lips, venom lacing her tone.

Looking up at Thomas's eyes she saw that he wasn't looking at her but his head was back and he was biting his lip. When she said it again he nodded at her. Bella pushed Thomas back on to the bed still lying beside him; she slowly ran her fingers down and back up the scars that his torso held. Bella felt so guilty for him being dragged into this, for losing his family, and now, seeing that Victoria had done terrible things to not only her and Edward, but to others as well. Leaning over she began placing open mouth kisses along those scars, starting at his pecs and slowly making her way down, kissing in a zigzag pattern from scar to scar. When her hair fell over her shoulder and brushed against his flat stomach Bella could see it jump, and then suck in as he held his breath. Finally at his hip bone she kissed one last time and straddled him.

Sitting on his thighs it allowed him to raise to a sitting position, his hands slowly working the buttons on her shirt. When the last button was open Thomas moved both of his hands up at once and slipped his fingers into her bra straps and began lowering both of them down past her chest. It was slow and Bella almost felt tortured again, but at the same time she knew he was being careful for her and it warmed her to know that he cared that much. When the straps and shirt met the back of her arms she lifted both at the same time slipping out of the bra and shirt at once. The shirt pooled around her butt and she could feel it on the backs of her feet. Moving his hand slowly around her back he locked eyes with Bella and when he didn't see any sign of protest he twisted his fingers and the two tiny snaps on the back freed her breasts letting the bra fall between them.

A flash of heat ran up Bella's body so quick that she rotated her hips on his thighs and sighed, was it weird that she felt free?

Her head dropped back and a cry of pleasure escaped her lips when his warm mouth wrapped around one of her hardening nipples. He slowly swirled his tongue around the nipple while cupping her other breast within his palm. His skin wasn't as hot as Jake's and his hand wasn't big enough to completely swallow her small breast but it felt wonderful just the same. When his hand and mouth switched positions she let out another cry, and pushed her chest into him. She couldn't feel the smug smile on his face that she surely would have gotten from Jake and it almost hurt, but this wasn't Jake, and while Jake had no reason at the time to not be playful and cocky Thomas did.

Cupping her butt Thomas rolled forward laying Bella on her back with her head at the foot of the bed. He was hovering over her now dropping kisses to each of her breasts and down the center of her stomach. When he reached her belly button he let his tongue dip in and tasted her. He kissed along the band of her jeans and sat back on his heels slowly popping the button and then lowering the zipper. Looking at Bella's eyes again she smiled just so and he hooked his fingers into her jeans and panties and lowered them at the same time. Bella was wiggling against the tight jeans she was wearing and Thomas was backing closer to the headboard in order to get them off, when they were to her ankles he took each foot in his hand and worked the tight jeans around her feet.

Once the jeans were on the floor he moved quicker toward her and let his hips grind into her moist center, he could feel her heat and wetness through his boxers and she groaned at the contact. When Thomas moved forward his covered tip brushed right across her center causing his boxers to cling to his head from her wetness and his own. He then slowly bent back over meeting her half way to kiss her, as she lifted Bella began pushing his boxers down. When his erection sprung free from the confines of his boxers she stared down at him with wide eyes, he looked nothing like Jake. While he nearly could match him in length his girth was not nearly as big. Bella looked back at Thomas who was watching her intently each of them speaking the same words simultaneously.

"It's been a long time."

Smiling in unison Bella dropped back on to the bed while Thomas dropped down on top her their chests finally meeting, he could feel her nipples pressing into his chest and she could feel the cold from his scars on her belly. With a shift of his hips Thomas's burning head was at her tight center, and with yet another slow shift he was slowly slipping into her wetness. Bella pressed her head into the bed arching her body to him at the same time, growing tense. Thomas stopped letting her body get used to the feel of him and allowed himself to calm down enough to be able to continue. When the tension left her body and she arched again causing him to slip further into her he met her and with a slow long stroke he was fully sheathed inside her.

Looking at her face Bella was biting her lip, her eyebrows furrowing with every push in and then relaxing with every pull out. It wasn't long before Thomas lifted her hip so the angle changed and her nub was now making contact with his pelvis when their bodies would come together. Not long after, Bella was whispering that she was coming and when her already tight body clamped down on him he followed soon after. Letting his weight fall onto her softly so as to roll off her without crushing her, he stopped when she held him there and asked him to stay once again. Shifting his legs forward, he put weight on his knees so that he could look down at her, and he nodded to tell her that he would.

The ringing of a telephone woke Bella, when she tried to shift to her side she couldn't, when she looked down her body she noticed that Thomas's head was resting just under her breasts and his arms were wrapped around the small of her back pinning her in place. Thankfully all she had to do was reach out, the tips of her fingers made contact with the receiver of the phone and she carefully but quickly picked it up before it could ring again.

It was an automated voice telling her it was the ten o'clock wake up call. Placing the receiver back onto the phone Bella let her hands rest on the back of Thomas's head who was still sleeping deeply, running her fingers through his hair she thought about what had happened last night, and frowned. In the midst of their need for closeness and warmth they hadn't used protection. Bella wasn't really worried about getting pregnant at this point it seemed after all of these years her body was never really regular or close to being regular…. No what she wondered, was how many women he had slept with before he had slept with her.

The phone ringing again broke her from that thought. Looking at the clock it had been five minutes, probably another wake up call. Doing the same as before Bella picked the receiver up and put it to her ear; on instinct she answered in a raspy voice "Hello?"

The voice that flowed through the line stopped Bella's blood cold, and cut the air coming into her body. "This is Chief Swan, I was given this number by an officer of mine the other day. Is this John Moore?"

A chocking sound escaped Bella's mouth. Slapping her hand around it so that nothing would come out she could feel Thomas stirring, and when his eyes met hers he was smiling but that quickly diminished when he noticed the look of horror on her face. Scrambling up Bella's body he quickly took the phone from her and hopped to a sitting position on the side of the bed.

"I'm sorry this is Mr. Moore, come again?"

Bella flung herself over his back pulling the phone far enough from his ear so she could hear her father's voice.

"This is Chief Swan. One of my officers, Paul Meraz" upon hearing the name Bella gasped again, "gave me this number when I got in last night. I'm sorry for not calling sooner I didn't want to disturb your evening."

"Right, that's right did you have luck fishing yesterday, Chief Swan?" Bella's fingernails dug into Thomas's rib and he looked at her, she was shaking her head to the side and making a hang up motion with her hands. With a curt shake of his head Thomas turned back to the phone.

"We did!" Charlie replied; Bella could hear the excitement in his voice, and she sagged against Thomas's back a little. "Billy and I caught more fish than we have in a long time. My fiancée wasn't thrilled with the catch, she's got a lot of cleaning to do today."

Thomas turned to look at Bella over his shoulder once again and she was smiling but tears were running down her cheeks. Holding his hand over the receiver Thomas mouthed 'Are you okay?', and Bella nodded, excitement was in her eyes and she moved her hand in an encouraging motion for him to continue speaking.

"That's nice to hear Chief I know it is strange, and I'm not sure if Officer Meraz told you the reason for my visit."

Bella could hear rustling over the phone and a woman humming in the background- the fiancée, she wondered who the woman was.

"He told me Renee sent you this way, something about good fishing in the area while you are in town, if you'd like you could come out with me again this afternoon. My grandson was upset that we didn't take him along and told me I had to take him out on the lake."

Thomas could feel Bella's heart slamming into her chest at the mention of her son, not even bothering to look her way knowing what he would see Thomas drew in a deep breath and spoke again. "Well that would be nice, Chief Swan, but an emergency came up back home and I'm afraid I have to leave this afternoon. It would have been nice to be able to get some fishing in while I was on this trip though." Bella's weight moved off his back as he spoke, he still didn't look at her as she slid over to the other side of the bed.

Watching Thomas as he shook his head up and down, and then placed the receiver onto the base, he turned slowly and noticed that she had the cover drawn up and tucked under her arms, her head was hung low and he could see the stains of her tears on the fabric.

Scooting across the bed he touched Bella's arm and she stilled. It wasn't a good sign. "I'm sorry, Bella, when you fell asleep yesterday I wanted to make sure that he was okay even though you couldn't go to him."

Throwing the cover to the side without a word Bella faced the wall. Bending at the knee she stood and began redressing, when she was fighting her way back into her jeans the shirt now completely done up she turned and made her way back to the door. Thomas raised his hand to grab on to her arm as she passed but then he thought better and dropped it.

With her hand on the handle Bella looked back at him, and her voice was cold as she said, "Our flight is leaving soon, and I don't want to miss it."

Before he could answer the door closed and he was alone again. He could hear Bella slamming drawers in her room, now, no doubt in her haste to get out of there. He too packed his bags.

Hours later as the plane touched down on the small airstrip he could see the Black BMW waiting for them. Bella hadn't said one word to him since the hotel, not one, she wouldn't so much as look in his direction, and she had put on huge glasses that Alice had given her to cover her puffy eyes.

Once the trunks were loaded and Thomas had slipped into the back seat of the car, Alice's dark golden eyes met his in the rear-view mirror. While taking a breath, he shook his head to the side, then stared out the window. As soon as the car stopped Bella jumped out and made her way around the back of the house no doubt running back to her home in the guest room. All of the Cullens had gathered on the front porch to welcome them back, and the sight of Bella being upset drew Emmett out into the yard. He tensed, when he caught the smell of Bella, along with the musty smell of sex on Thomas, and his eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned to Thomas cowering behind them. Backing up out of fear, Thomas was saved when Jasper stood next to Emmett, murmuring words too low for Thomas to discern but enough to curb Emmett's anger and deter him from ripping Thomas to pieces. With a nod of his head, Emmett turned from the rest of them, and walked away.

Once in the house, Thomas told the Cullens that he was going to shower and then sleep; it had been a long trip, he'd said, but before he even got to his room Alice was hot on his heels. Despite seeing most of it in one her visions, she still wanted to know what had happened between him and Bella. With a scolding look in his direction, she rubbed his back when she saw the sorrow there. Following him into his room she sat and listened to the story, or as much of it as he knew and could tell her.

As he was walking toward the bathroom he stilled, when Alice told him that she would forgive him, and when he turned to look at her she tapped her temple, smiled, and then danced out of the room.

**A few things; The Cullen's had lived in California for four years when Charlie found them, it wasn't long after the talk that he and Jake had in the last chapter. Six years total had passed when Emmett and Rose stole the pictures from Renee. This chapter is eight years total that Bella has been gone. I know what some of you must be thinking about Bella too. I was iffy on writting it like that but it was either Thomas or... someone else. It's been eight years and she just saw Jake and his imprint, she knows that he is happy and moving on and realizes that's for the best. So she tries to move on too.**

**Oh and please don't throw things or beat me BUT, next chapter is not going to be the reunion. My reason, this chapter really got away with me. The plan was for this chapter to lead right into the reunion; I already have 7 pages of the next chapter done and we are just getting there... don't hate me *hides under the desk***


	15. Chapter 13

**A/N: Since I'm a glutton for punishment here's another.**

**Chapter 13**

Jacob was sitting on his back porch, holding hands with his girlfriend while watching the kids playing with Angela and Embry's girls. Sunday, as usual, was the day he spent with the twins, and because it was Embry's day, as well, the two always got together to watch and enjoy the company of their children.

Jake sighed, as he watched the kids. Sometimes, Jake felt really bad for CJ, knowing that all of the girls except for one were against him. But at other times he could only smile, because CJ, and Embry's daughter, Sage, reminded him so much of him and Bella when they were kids. While all of the other girls would run around the yard in princess outfits, Sage and CJ would play with hot wheels in the dirt; also Angela, because she had known about the history between Bella and Jake, had taught Sage how to make mud pies. It was now one of Sage and CJ's favorite passtimes.

Looking over at Lauren, Jake could see that she was smiling, too, as she watched his children playing together with their friends. She loved them so much, Jake knew, and while she was only just becoming a part of their lives, and he hadn't yet asked her to move in with them, Jake knew that he was seriously considering it; he knew that the kids loved Lauren as much as she loved them, and that it would be nice if she became an even bigger part of their small family. Of course he still loved Bella, and he always would, but Jake couldn't see any other alternative. He would ask Lauren to move in with him, and soon. Just not tomorrow.

Tomorrow, they had plans- big plans. Even bigger plans than Jake's simple request for his girlfriend to move in with him. Tomorrow, Jake was taking off work to go to Port Angeles, so that he could pick up his tux. The special occasion for his personal outing was long-awaited. Finally, Charlie Swan had asked Sue Clearwater to be his bride. It took him nearly eight months, after his talk with Jake that he should do it and so he did. Sue was so busy, though, with working at the hospital and volunteering at the medical center on the reservation, that she had barely any time to plan the wedding by herself; therefore, she had enlisted the help of Emily, as well Sue's own daughter, Leah.

It had been a long time coming, but the wedding was this weekend and Jake could feel the excitement in the air. Ali was of course asked to be in the wedding along with Embry's daughter Tala, and CJ, and Leah's son River, were to be in the wedding as well. Jake was shocked, when Charlie asked him instead of Billy to be his best man, and Sue shocked everyone when she had asked Leah to be in the wedding too. It would only be a small thing - a quiet ceremony that was to be held at the tribal center, nothing fancy - but it was still big enough that all of the guys in the ceremony had to purchase and wear tuxes; as far as Charlie and Jake were concerned, the tux factor had to be the _only_ part of the whole shindig, that either of them was less than thrilled about.

As the sun was dipping behind the trees in the backyard Jake shifted, so that he could look down the path that led to Third Beach. He could see the sun clearly sinking into the ocean, and he felt a little stabbing pain within his heart. He still missed that he couldn't watch the sunset with Bella, but he also knew that she wasn't the one for him anymore, that it was Lauren who was the one for him now. Pulling on Lauren's hand, he made her stand so that she could situate herself in his lap. He buried his head into her hair, and her unique scent helped to sooth him. Unlike Bella's strawberry and vanilla scent, Lauren's was something like a mixture of coconut infused with lime. It was different, and he remembered how it had tickled his nose when he'd first smelled it on Lauren; but now- now, he was really liking the scent. He had even learned to love it.

That night, when the kids were sleeping and he and Lauren were cuddling on the couch watching TV, was the moment when he asked her to stay with him. In the two years that they had been together, Jake knew that he didn't ask her as often as he should have to stay with him in his home; Jake wondered about that, about how it seemed as if Lauren really didn't mind the fact that he never had asked her before now. It confused him. Surely, most girls would worry about that, wouldn't they? But Lauren was different, of course Jake knew that. It was just one thing among many that he liked about her. Walking to the back of the house, as he led her to his room, he resolved to ask her right before they went fell asleep. But, as she lay in his arms, with him on the verge of telling her that one important thing he wanted to tell her, Jake noticed that her breathing had evened out, and as he looked down at her face resting against his chest, he knew that she was sound asleep. He'd have to tell her some other time.

The next day was starting out as a bad one for Jake. He was feeling nervous, and horny, despite the time he had spent with Lauren during the night. The entire drive to Port Angeles made things impossibly worse, given the fact that Jake couldn't keep his hand from trailing up and down Lauren's leg, sneaking to the inside of her thigh, and pressing his fingers against her soft skin. She would shift, always toward him though never away, and yet he would still stop what he was doing and shoot her a cocky smile. However, when she stopped responding to him, he frowned, but then his eyes lit up and the smile returned, when Lauren began a little game of her own.

As they were walking down the street Lauren would lower her voice, making it husky to match his, and she would say things to him about the time they had spent together during the night. His erection was straining, so hard against his pants when he pulled her into him, that he was certain he would burst if she kept things going. If she wanted to tease him, he would tease her right back, and she knew that too, which was why she was goading him on in the first place. Slowly getting frustrated, Jake began to grind himself into her, and he let his hands slip into the back pockets of her jeans as he pulled her closer to his body.

They were kissing now, groping each other like two lovestruck teens, when he felt her slowly start to tense against his chest. They both knew that people were watching them, and while Lauren wasn't shy and neither was Jake, he knew that they couldn't go on like this for much longer before clothes would be coming off. He had to hide them, or he would risk embarassing her as well as himself in the very public place they'd suddenly found themselves in. Quickly assessing their surroundings, Jake took Lauren by the hand, and he led her around the corner and into an alley located across from the gas station they had stopped at. It was there, that he could have his way with her, after the teasing in the car and now on the sidewalk had gotten to be too much for him; Jake knew that he had to have her, and it had to be now.

He was kissing her, harder now and more agressively, his lips and his hands were all over her, and she lifted her leg to wrap around his waist as he ground himself further and further into her denim covered sex. The moment the impulse to run his hand down her stomach and rip her pants open right there in the alley had come, but a loud shriek shot out just as his fingers closed around the clasp on Lauren's jeans, and Jake braced himself, the wolf within him yelling at him to protect Lauren as well as anyone else who might be in trouble.

Dropping Lauren's leg from around his waist Jake walked out of the alley, then stopped. He could see that a crowd had gathered, on the sidewalk nearest to them; a similar crowd had also appeared in the gas station parking lot across the road. Without even thinking Jake began to cross the road, leaving Lauren behind him; something was telling him to cross- call it a gut feeling, but Jake knew that something was wrong. He heard the screeching of tires and a horn honked somewhere off to his right. It didn't phase him, though he knew something was over there, but it was the panic in Lauren's voice when she called out to him that brought him back over to her.

Lauren's heart was racing, Jake could hear it thrumming loudly in her chest as he pulled her back into his arms. She wouldn't stop running her hands up and down his face, as she checked to make sure he was okay, and he didn't stop her because he was doing the very same thing, his fingers brushing over her cheeks and across her lips, his hands and his body trembling though he knew that she was alright. When Lauren was satisfied she threw herself back into a chair sitting in front of the alley. Though she seemed okay, she still told Jake she thought she was going to have a heart attack, when she'd seen him walk out in to the middle of traffic.

It calmed him, enough, to know that her fear was only because she was worried about him, and dropping down to kneel in front of her, he kissed her and told her to relax, that he would be back with his tux, and the parts for Seth's dirt bike, and that she shouldn't worry, that everything was okay now. He was still fighting the wolf, who's only concern was to continue to glance in the direction of the gas station, though he tried to ignore it. Nothing was wrong, everything was fine. He needed to stop worrying, too.

When Jake finally walked into the tux store, the saleswoman asked what he needed after only having glanced at him once. His answer stalled on his tongue, however, when the faint smell of strawberries alerted his senses. He jerked his head towards the scent, but it was too sweet, and not at all like he remembered. It was wrong, different, not the same; it wasn't the sweet strawberry and vanilla scent of his Bella. It was...different. Turning to look around the shop, now, Jake's eyes scanned over a man who was not much shorter than him. The man was blond, a little older, and somewhat small in height yet he was also well-built and definitely oozing masculinity. Jake would have thought it odd for a man such as this to smell like fruit, but then he remembered the constant teasing he would receive from the pack whenever he would spend a lot of time with Lauren, and so he thought nothing of it and turned away from the man.

Tux in hand, Jake turned to thank the kind saleswoman for her patience, then he left the store, and walked toward the bike parts shop a couple of buildings down the road.

As Jake walked into the store, immediately striking up a conversation with the clerk who was a close friend of his, Jake could swear he felt as if someone was watching him. Looking over his shoulder, Jake swore that he saw the same blond man from earlier walking away from the window. It was unnerving, but again Jake ignored his better judgment and shook off the feelings of unease. He had to get back to Lauren, so Jake turned back to the clerk to finish the conversation about the parts so that he could leave.

Once he had returned to Lauren's side, the nervousness of what Jake was about to do started to take over again. But, given his resolve from the night before, he knew this had to be done, and so he grabbed her hand and led her over to the gas station, where they then sat down at the small café table, his throat dry as he cleared it in his preparation. It did nothing to hide his insecurity, and when he asked the question, his voice sounded like that of a pre-pubescent teen. "Lauren, I want… Would you... Will you move in with me? Please?"

Lauren's eyes grew wide, and Jake could feel her palms instantly start to shake and grow clammy in his hands. Then she was smiling, and he visibly relaxed. "Are you sure, Jake?" she asked, sounding as nervous as he had done though her smile never wavered. At least she wasn't frowning or running away from him; that was a good sign.

"Sure, sure!" he responded, smiling just as wide as she was now. "I wouldn't ask if I wasn't sure." That response, of course, came out a little more harshly than what he would have liked it to, but Jake had felt as if this wasn't going to turn in his favor, and he was just that much more enthusiastic to know that she was at least actually considering his proposal. He squeezed her hand as he said, "I didn't mean for it to sound it like that, okay? It's just…"

Once again, she interrupted him, already on the same page as he was. "It's just that it might be a shock to the kids, don't you think? I mean I hardly stay with you now, and all of a sudden I'd be moving in? What would that mean to them?" She didn't seem like she was opposed, only that she was worried about how the kids would react. Jake hadn't thought about that as thoroughly as he had considered her actually living with him, and he sat back and contemplated it now, while his fingers brushed soft circles against the underside of Lauren's wrist.

After just a few minutes of contemplation, Jake knew that he'd made the right decision. This, the idea that Lauren was so considerate of his kids as well as him, was another of the reasons why he loved her. Of course she knew just how much he loved her, though he might not say it nearly as much as she said it to him, but he _did_ love her, and she loved his kids just as much as she loved Jake; in Jake's eyes, that was really the only thing that mattered to him.

"I hadn't thought about it, to be honest," he admitted now, his voice soft as he gazed into her eyes. "Maybe we- maybe you can start staying with me just a couple of nights a week, to stat out, and then move in after a couple of months. What do you say?"

"I think that'd be great." She smiled again, as her fingers squeezed softly around his hand clasped in hers.

Jake blew out a deep breath, smiling too as he stood and brought her up to stand with him in his arms. This was new for him, a new beginning, but it was the beginning of something good, and he couldn't wait to see where things took him next, as long as Lauren was there to experience them with him.

It's been two years since Jake asked Lauren to move in with him, and so many things had changed, in such a short amount of time.

Jake was now Alpha of the wolf pack, Sam having stepped down and relinquished his role when his Emily had gotten sick; she was constantly in the hospital, and he didn't want to be away from her for too long. Sam no longer wanted the position of Alpha, regardless- he had never really wanted it- and he couldn't let the stress and worry of Emily's health and the safety of the rez take its toll on him any longer. When Jake had taken on the role of Alpha, a lot of the things that had changed had been because of him, including the roles of many of the wolves in the pack.

Leah, for example, who had been on her own during much of Sam's reign, had become Jake's second in command, or Beta as he had once termed the position, a role she fell into as she'd been made for it. Jake did feel as if she was the best for the job, though he would never tell her outright; even though Leah's imprint was different, from the rest of the pack as well as the tribe, Jake could see that it was because of him that she could concentrate better than the others. Jake knew, and Leah knew, that it was Leah's imprint that made her feel the urge to constantly protect those around her, not only him but also her kids, whom Jake's kids had grown very close to over the years.

As for Lauren, Jake had had to let her in on the secret of the tribe not long after she began staying at his place. It was almost easy keeping it from her until that point, but when Jake would wake in the middle of the night claiming he had an emergency at work, Lauren had grown suspicious; one morning, when he got home from patrol and the kids were at Embry's, he had walked into their room to find all of her bags packed and her sitting there looking at him in the entryway. The moment he saw the bags around her, everything spilled out of him, every secret he had ever kept from her; with the front door standing open behind them, and with him kneeling in front of her, both of her hands clutched in his, Jake told her everything. It didnt matter whether or not the council would approve, none of that mattered to him. But Jake knew that he wouldn't lose her, not like he lost..._her_. There would be nothing, if Jake had a say about it, that would take Lauren away from him now.

Of course just like _her_, and to Jake's utter shock, Lauren had taken the news quite easily; when he had asked her why she wasn't freaked out, by the fact that he turned into a huge wolf, she simply shrugged her shoulders and had asked him, "How could I not love _everything_ about you?" in all seriousness. Things had started to move fairly easily from that moment on.

It wasn't until a year later that things began to slow down again. There were two pregnancy scares during that year for him and for Lauren, and while Jake loved his kids, he really didn't know if he was ready for _more_ kids; there was also the fact that he still hadn't asked Lauren to marry him. She never said anything to him about it but he knew the question was there, in her mind; how could it not be? When Jake knew, that they had been together for almost four years and yet he still hadn't asked her, how could it not be there? He knew he should ask, everyone had told him that more times than he could count, but the only thing he could tell himself was that it wasn't the time, and he knew it was because of Bella. Sure he had moved on, somewhat, but he still thought of her. Not nearly as often as he'd used to, but she still held a place in his heart. He couldn't yet take that last step... there would still some time before his heart -his soul- would allow him to do so.

Jake's continuous reassurances to himself, reassurances that Lauren would wait for him until that time came, were the only things that kept him going in the months that lay ahead.

Jake was making breakfast for Lauren and the kids one morning, when a call came that sealed their fate. Just as Jake was spooning her egg-white omelet out of the pan, the phone rang and he picked it up and put it to his ear. When he recognized her boss's voice telling him that he needed to talk to her, he told him that she was on her way, and when he heard Lauren making her way down the hall he yelled to her that she was needed on the phone.

The longer Lauren talked into the phone, the more animated she became, the more her heart raced, and the happier she seemed to look to Jake. But then, when she finally turned and looked at Jacob, everything seemed to stop. Holding her finger up at him she stepped out onto the back porch, her back to him and her voice was lower now, and more subdued. Jake could tell when her voice dropped to a whisper as she asked how long she had to make the decision, but of course he couldn't hear the answer. Resigned to sit at the table and watch, he waited in silence for her to come back inside.

The reason that Lauren's boss, the principal, called was huge, apparently. Given that, Jake still didn't understand the sudden switch in Lauren's reaction. When she came back into the house her face was pale, and he could tell that she was troubled. Grabbing her hand he led her to him and pulled her into his lap, then he kissed her cheek softly before he asked her to tell him what was wrong.

She told him what he had already known and suspected since he'd been with her: that her job as a kindergarten teacher was the first job she'd received straight out of college, and that, despite her low level of experience, she had put herself on a list for a teaching position on the Big Cyprus Indian Reservation, which was located in Southern Florida. Lauren had always hoped for a position to open at the tribal school there, all of her family was living in Florida and it was one of her dearest ambitions to work so close to home. As the years went on, the hope that she would get a spot at the small school had faded away, but when the call that would change everything had come, the happieness rushed into her en masse, and without thinking she told her boss that she was sorry to be leaving but that she wanted the position, that she missed her family dearly, and that she would be available as soon as he needed her. Being so close to her family was the only thing Lauren could think about, that was until she turned and looked at Jake, where he was still cooking her breakfast at the small island kitchenette. Lauren was torn; not knowing what to do, she asked the principal how long she had to make the decision. He told her she needed to tell him within two weeks, or the job would be offered to someone else. The position wouldn't start until the beginning of the next school year, which, thankfully, was months away; it was only March, now. She still had time.

Jake knew without asking what Lauren wanted. He only had to look into her eyes, and he was torn also. Torn between wanting her to be happy, and torn between not wanting to lose her or to let her go so far away from him. She knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help it, Lauren wanted him to come with her. Deep down, she knew the answer all along, she knew that he couldn't leave. Jake was the Alpha of the pack, and as such this meant that he would inherit his role as chief of his tribe. Just as Jake wouldn't want Lauren to give up her dream, Lauren also did not want Jake to give up his future. There was just no way around it, for either of them.

By the end of the two weeks, both with hearts broken into pieces, the decision was finally made: Lauren had decided to take the job. Jake wanted to beg her to change her mind, to stay with him, but he couldn't stand the thought of keeping her there when he knew deep down that she needed to be close to her family; Jake wanted her to live the life she wanted, not the life he had to live if she chose to stay by his side. He would let her go, as long as it meant that she was happy, he would let her live her dream.

Later that same night, after Jake had just told Embry the news of Lauren's departure, was the first night he had ever punched his friend in a non-joking kind of way. They were sitting on the cliff just watching the sun as it set beneath the horizon. The second the sentence rolled off of Embry's tongue Jake stood up, and, with no warning whatsoever he turned, and punched Embry square in the jaw. Embry's question had been about Jake imprinting, and while Jake had told them all when he was with Bella that he never would imprint and he thought they had believed him when he started dating Lauren, none of them had ever said anything about it until now. Embry's question opened up a whole new level of pain for Jake, and, after Lauren left, things were hard not only on Jake but on all of them. The pack as well as most of the residents of the reservation had grown to love her. Her absence was equally hard on the kids, some thought more so than it was on Jake.

Of course, as it had been in the past, things slowly started to return to normal for the tribe. That was until the day the twins celebrated their fifteenth birthdays...

**8 years later…**

Bella was in the kitchen once again, trying to perfect a recipe that she had been working on for what seemed like a year. There was something missing, something that she just couldn't figure out, and it was starting to annoy her. She didn't know what it was, but it tasted…off. While searching through all of the ingredients lying around the kitchen she heard her front door slowly open, then close. A smile tugged at her lips, as she knew it would be Alice. Alice Cullen was the only person Bella knew who would even dare come into the kitchen while Bella was swept up in her culinary escapades.

"I'm guessing you've seen him?" Bella asked, without preamble. She didn't turn around, but when Alice didn't answer as quickly as she normally would have, she turned and looked at Alice, only to find Alice staring back at her, her golden eyes troubled, her gaze far away. Bella's smile fell, when she saw the sorrowful look on Alice's face; as she walked toward her, Jasper rounded the corner behind Alice, not looking any happier than she.

"What is it, Alice?" Bella asked, looking back at Alice's face. "Is he ok? Oh, my god. He's alright, isn't he? Please tell me he's okay."

Despite her decision regarding the events that had transpired eight years ago in Port Angeles, Bella still asked that Alice look out for Charlie, her father, to make sure that he was okay and that he was safe. Bella, even though she longed deeply to go to him, knew that she couldn't do that to Charlie, to give him false hope even knowing how long she had been away from him up until this moment. She told herself, constantly, that her isolation from Charlie as well as certain people she still thought about even now, was for the best, though it was harder for her to think of him now than it had ever been before. A few years after the Port Angeles incident, it had been time for the Cullens to once again move on, Bella and Thomas had a relationship of sorts, and Thomas was with them now, though he'd never really considered the thought of moving with them in the past. Bella wanted things to stay the same, but she also still wanted what she'd lost in the past. Some days, she wasn't sure what it was she wanted in life, though she never once forgot all that she'd been through.

The place they were in now was a small town called Whitefish, Montana; it was so close, yet still so far away from Bella's past.

Carlisle had already spoken with the Chief of Staff, at the local hospital. It seemed they were in need of a doctor and another board member, the only downside was that they hadn't found someone to fill in the role. The pay wasn't bad, though it wasn't all that important to the Cullens; the hospital couldn't afford the salaries that most doctors with the experience they needed could receive,and of course being that Carlisle was in no need of money quickly agreed to fulfill the role as needed.

When the Cullens had told both he and Bella the news Thomas decided he was going to stay in Louisiana, by which time he had already secured a great job that he enjoyed at a local medical practice, with help from the Cullens and plans on opening his own someday, Bella had not been so sure of their decision, and she had taken Thomas aside and asked him if he would want her to stay with him. She knew the years that her and Thomas had shared together had meant something to the both of them, but she wasn't sure if it was enough. Even though they loved each other, she questioned all the time if she was _in_ love with him; Bella knew, and she had known for some time, that Thomas often wondered if he felt the same as she.

Bella left the main house that same night, after she had told Thomas that she needed to think about things. As soon as she got into her house she logged onto the computer to look up anything and everything she possibly could about the town they would be moving to. One of the first things she looked for in her search was whether or not there was a bakery or catering company in the area. To her great delight, there was. The next thing, which was possibly the stupidest thing she could have done, was for Bella to map out the entire distance between Whitefish and La Push. The total distance logged out to about seven hundred and eighteen miles, twelve hours and twenty four minutes; Bella could be in La Push in less than a day, if need be. The decision was then made, and Bella was moving with the Cullen, along with Thomas, who couldn't decide on an answer quickly enough to satiate Bella's already made-up mind.

Alice's cold hands on her forearms broke Bella out of her thoughts. In addition to Thomas she was still concerned about Charlie, and Alice hurried to calm her fears before they got the best of her. "He's alive, Bella," her bell voice assured her, her hands loosening now upon Bella's wrists. "We don't know everything, but we do know that he'll be alright. It was real quick, all I could see was him in a hospital bed, but he is alive. Just relax- you need to breathe, Bella."

"When was this?" Bella asked, ignoring for the moment her need for oxygen. "Have you seen anything else?"

"It was over an hour ago, I didn't want to wait to tell you but I wanted to see if I would be able to see him anymore, I haven't."

Jasper stood beside her, his face calm, but he was was holding onto Alice's shoulders as the feeling of her helplessness had its affect on him. It caused him to lose some of the control he was using to keep Bella calm, and he could see now that she was starting to panic.

"I have to go, to him…. now, like right now... God, I have to… I have to make sure he's alright... I've been so stupid, why didn't I go back, we've been close, so close... all this time I could have at least contacted him, somehow..." Bella was scrambling around the kitchen shutting off the oven and all of the burners that were still lit. Ignoring Jasper and Alice she rushed over to the main house, where she could see the rest of the Cullens waiting for her in the living room. Emmett was standing in front of Edward, who had returned sometime after they'd moved to Montana. Emmett's hand was on Edward's shoulder, keeping him at a safe distance from Bella.

"I have to go to him, Carlisle. It's been too long and I've been stupid and selfish for not going before now, I want to at least make sure he's alright."

Carlisle nodded his agreement, while Esme beside him expelled an unnecessary breath; Esme was happy that Bella was going home, but sad, at the same time, that she was leaving. They had all been together for so long, and Bella was so much like one of her daughters that it was going to be hard giving her up.

"We want you to go, Bella," she said, and Bella could hear the tears in her words, tears that Esme would never be able to feel again now that she was in her immortal form. "We do, but we can't go with you. You must go alone."

"Why?" The shock on Bella's face was evident; she hadn't been without them for sixteen years. Could she really do this by herself?

"The wolves, for one," Jasper pointed out, and Bella turned to find him standing behind her and beside Alice, his hand perched unconsciously around Alice's waist. "There's also the fact that it hasn't been long enough for us that we could return to Forks. It would only cause problems." Bella could tell that Jasper was trying to be courteous, but she could still hear the underlying warning in his tone. The wolves would not welcome them back, she knew that.

But Bella also knew that that was something that she couldn't even allow to filter into her mind. Of course the wolves would be angry; they would also know she was there, and it was no question that the Cullens' presence would probably ruin any chance she had of getting to Charlie at all without a fight breaking out. It occured to Bella that, of course, every one of the pack members would stand behind Jake. After all, Jake would not have exactly kept it a secret, not to mention the note Victoria had left him informing him of Bella's false pretenses, that Bella had left him for the Cullens. A fight -a war- was inevitable if she returned, with or without the Cullens, but especially with them.

Bella's head dropped in her defeat, and Jasper felt the wave of her sadness wash over him. "I don't even know if he would even want to see me anymore." Bella wondered often how Charlie's reaction to her would be if she ever chose to go back, she never really thought she would go back though, but the thought of losing him forever was just too much for her. Bella remembered the main reason why she wanted to go back all those years ago, and the main reason why she chose to ignore her fears and come back to the Cullen's. She knew, but...

"You won't be alone, Bella." Her head shot up at these words. Emmett stood closer to her now, his gaze was on her face. "I'll drive you, at least to Tacoma, and you can get yourself home from there."

Tears slid down her cheeks, and she ran to Emmett and hugged him as tightly as she could. Then, without glancing once at Edward, she bolted for her apartment and around to the detached garage. Jogging up the steps Bella stumbled forward, knocking her shins into the steps ahead of her, but she smiled when she didn't completely fall over. Her balance, among other things, had only gotten better with time.

Bursting into the apartment, Bella grabbed the ratty old album that sat on her coffee table as she ran toward her bedroom. Once there she pulled a messenger bag off the back of a chair dumped the contents -a laptop and some papers- out onto the bed, then she ran into the bathroom, grabbed all of her medicine out of the cabinet, sending the rest of the junk clattering to the ground, and then deposited everything on her bed, before she ran to her dresser drawers in search of some clothes.

Once she was dressed Bella ripped her nightclothes off the edge of the bed to toss into the bag, along with a couple pairs of pants and tops to go with them. She was lucky that they were living in a colder environment now; the cold was still Bella's enemy most of all; a major thank goodness was in order for all the thermals and hoodies she now owned. Flipping the light off to her room she ran back down the stairs of the apartment, but stopped abruptly when she was met by Emmett who was leaning up against his already running Jeep. He pulled the bag from her without speaking, threw it into the open back window, and then climbed inside. Rosalie was making her way to him as Bella made her way back to the rest of the Cullens. She hugged Alice and Esme, and even Jasper, but, when her eyes fell on Edward who was still standing by the door, she nodded her head and moved to Carlisle beside him.

"You'll be okay, Bella. Make sure you continue to take your medicine as you have been the past few years, it seems to be helping. It's colder in Forks, though, and right now your temperature is borderline for concern, so please do try not to do anything to get hurt because you would be admitted on that alone." He drew in a long unneeded breath, and Bella knew that what he had to say next was something important, "Don't touch Charlie until you know that you are calm enough to handle yourself. Alright?" Tears glistened in her eyes as she threw her arms around Carlisle's neck. He seemed to know just the right things to tell her, she wouldn't have otherwise even thought about his warning if it he wouldn't have given it to her before she'd left.

Detaching herself from Carlisle Bella waved to the Cullens before she ran around to front of the Jeep. Pulling the door open she grabbed the handle and launched herself into the seat, she was giddy and scared all at the same time. Looking at Emmett the excitement was evident on his face. He smiled, a wide grin that spread to both of his cheeks.

"Road trip, little sis," he said, lightly tapping Bella on the shoulder. Bella could only smile back; she was finally going home.

Exactly six hours later Bella was pulling herself from the passenger seat of the Jeep with wet hands that were wrung and sore, and her stomach felt nauseous. She didn't know if it was the thought of only being three hours from Charlie, or the fact that Emmett had driven so fast that they got to Tacoma three hours before the GPS said they should have. One thing she wasn't, though, was tired, not in the least; she was much too wired for that. Esme had packed sandwiches for her, along with her medicine, which she'd been instructed to take every couple of hours, and Emmett, being the great road tripper that he was, made sure to stop off at a gas station just outside of town to get Bella as much junk food he could purchase, before she came out of the bathroom lecturing him about not eating any of it. Of course, in her nervousness she had forgotten all about _not _eating anything. She ate nearly all of the candy bars he bought, and even a couple of the energy drinks as well.

They were at a rest stop, on the side of the highway, and as she made her way around the front of the Jeep Emmett was already standing on the sidewalk. She looked up at him and smiled, but the tears were glistening in her eyes; she was still worried. "Bella, it's going to be alright. You can do this, we all know you can."

She dropped her head to let her tears fall, she didn't want him to see them, knowing he could smell them was bad enough. With his finger on her chin he slowly drew her face back up so that he could look at her, as he said, "I promise, you are going to be ok, sis. Everything is going to be fine, if you need me, just call. You know I'll be there."

"I know. It's just so…. I can't believe I'm going back, and it scares me to think about being so close to him and not touching him, what if he's sleeping when I get there. What am I going to do?"

"You know you can touch him, Bella, you just have to be calm and aware of your control, you'll be fine."

"But what if I slip and show him, I don't want him to see anything, I don't want him to know."

"Listen to me, Bella, it's been years since you've had an accident with this. I promise, you are going to be okay. Now let's go in and get you something to eat. When you're done, you can go, okay, so that you can get there in time."

Bella nodded her head, but didn't really believe a word Emmett was saying. She couldn't stop worrying about her control. It was true, she hadn't had an accident in years, but that didn't mean that the emotional state she was in wouldn't get the better of her...

Before they had moved to Montana, her and Thomas were out on their way home from dinner when a car lost control and crossed over the center line.

When Bella had looked up, and noticed that the car was heading right for them, she had grabbed Thomas's arm out of fear. From what he had told the family when they got home that night, the instant her hand touched his arm, he could hear everything her mind was screaming, everything her body was too frozen to convey. He could see the result of the crash, just as Bella had imagined it. It was when he jerked his arm from her grasp that the images stopped, and their car ran into the ditch barely being missed by the one driven by the drunk driver.

Carlisle didn't seem as shocked as either Bella or Thomas had thought he would be. When he explained himself, it was discovered that, while most vampires powers were instantly active as soon as they were turned, that Bella wasn't a vampire, even though she had venom running through her veins. The drug that Carlisle had created for her himself had slowed the regenerating qualities in both Victoria and Edward's venom. Carlisle contributed the fact that Bella had never really had emotional distress once she had her breakthrough, and that her control was never lost nor was her ability ever fully unleashed. It made sense that Bella already knew that she was aging slower than she normally would have -anyone would be a fool not to notice the same thing- and that along with her slower aging, her heart rate was slower than a normal human, and her body temperature was still slowly declining. They were still finding out the long term effects that the venom had on her body, but Bella was hopeful that would be the worst of it. Once her power was known the Cullens helped her learn how to filter the thoughts as they came and control when it was used.

As Bella sat in the truck stop diner staring at her empty plate, she continued to worry about Charlie and her control over her power. When the pregnant waitress came by to collect the dirty dishes, Emmett cocked his brow at her, and with a flick of his hand her water was sailing across the table and onto the floor. As the waitress' foot made contact with the water she slipped and began to fall backwards, her hands were flying out as they made their way above her head and before Bella knew it she was grabbing the waitress by the arm, not stopping her decent as Bella wasn't strong enough, but slowing her down enough so that she wouldn't get hurt. Bella fell onto the floor beside her.

Looking over to the waitress she saw her mouth thank you and then she rolled to her feet. Wiping the water from her palms onto her jeans she felt Emmett gliding her out the door. Once in the parking lot she opened her mouth to yell at him but he stopped her when he spoke ahead of her. "I told you that you had control, Bella, it was a split second decision and you made it, you saw a pregnant girl falling and you caught her. You didn't show her anything, did you." It was more of a statement than a question.

She shook her head no. "See, now get in and go to your dad."

She hadn't even realized that he led her to the car, or that she was standing on the driver's side by the opened door. Not knowing what to say to him she climbed into the truck and when he flicked the tip of her nose she snapped her teeth at him. His smile faded, and a look of seriousness crossing his features. "Now go, Bella. Call me if you need anything, I'll stay here for a day or two in case you need my help, alright?"

Pushing himself away from the Jeep, Emmett walked across the road and made it fully into the woods before Bella started the car and headed out.

**Four hours later...**

Bella was pulling up to the hospital in Forks. It should have only taken three hours to get here from Tacoma, but Bella needed gas in Port Angeles, and when she realized that she was stopped at the same gas station she was at eight years earlier, she had a mini panic attack. Once she regained her composure she was off again, but at a slower clip. The closer she got to Forks the slower she seemed to drive.

Picking a spot Bella looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was only six am, but the sun was up, and Bella knew the hospital in Forks didn't have a set time for visiting hours. Once in the door she made her way to the information desk where a slender elderly woman sat. Bella sighed then said, "Excuse me," and the woman's head snapped up, a smile plastered onto her face.

"Hello, Miss. How can I help you?"

"Could you tell me what room Chief Swan is in, please?"

Bella stood patiently as she waited for the woman to finish tapping the keys of her computer. Before the lady could tell Bella anything she noticed the smile slip from her lips and she began to worry. "I'm sorry, miss; it seems that Chief Swan was discharged later last night. He must be at home."

Bella nodded, then left before the woman could ask her any more questions. Charlie was home, and she couldn't wait to get there. Forget control, she just needed to see him.

Within minutes she was pulling up to the small two-story white house that all those years ago she had called home. She wondered if the purple room was still there, or if he had left it the same or it was changed into something like a storage room. As Bella sat in the Jeep she noticed the front door open and her breath caught in her throat. When a young man walked out of the door, closing it then locking it her brows drew together. The man didn't look familiar, though it wasn't really a surprise that she didn't seem to know him; it had been sixteen years since she had been here. Slowly, she climbed out of the Jeep, just as the door closed, and he looked up and began walking toward her.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Is Charlie home?" Bella asked shoving her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, her heart was thumping wildly in her chest.

"I'm sorry, but he doesn't live here anymore." Her heart fell. "But," the man continued, "my wife and I have been renting the place from him for years now, are you family, we heard about his accident."

"He rented the house..." Bella didn't think before the words were out of her mouth.

"Yeah. We've been living here since before we were married and the kids were born, Charlie has been great to us since we've known him."

"Where is he living now?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't get your name?" the man asked while looking her over.

"I…I'm Bella. I'm his daughter," Her sentence was cut off, when his eyes grew wide and he sucked in a breath.

She made a move to grab at his arm to stop him, only so that she could explain to him just what she wanted him to know, but then she thought better of it; she couldn't seem to control the thoughts screaming through her head. "I haven't been…" she started, paused and then continued. "I haven't seen Charlie in years, but I heard about the accident and I had to come and make sure that he was okay. Can you please tell me where he is living now?"

"You're Bella?"

Seeing the look on his face Bella dropped her gaze from his face. He was angry, and shocked. Why would he be angry? "I am Bella, yes. Why do you ask?"

"You know he's still looking for you," the man replied, his anger decreasing slightly. "People in town are still talking about you."

"They are?" She figured Charlie would still be looking for her, but she never would have guessed anyone else would have really cared much for would be looking for her too.

"Yes they are. Look I'm not going to call Charlie right now and tell him that you're here, and I'm going to give you time to get down there and show yourself to him but I will be calling him within the hour to let him know you're in town. You'd better not leave before you see him." The man's demeanor had completely changed, and while Bella knew she was years older than him, she felt like she was being scolded, just like a child.

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she ignored the tears in her eyes as her eyes met his. "Where is he living?"

"He doesn't live far from here, I'm sure you know where it is. He is living with his wife on the Quileute Reservation. It's a blue house at the end of Thunder Road."

Bella began to sway at the man's words. She could feel herself slowly start to tilt to the side, and before she could right herself she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Looking up again, she saw that now the man's face was creased with worry. "Bella, are you okay? You look ill."

"I'm fine. I have to go, thank you."

As quickly as she could move while still fighting to stay upright, Bella made it back to the Jeep and jumped in, slamming the door behind her. Peeling out of the drive she headed for the Forks city limit. When the road made a Y-shape, she had a decision to make. Take the right fork and take the 101 back to Tacoma, back to the Cullens, or turn left onto La Push Road, and come face to face with her entire past.

Sitting on the shoulder, Bella looked in the review mirror, stalling for time she didn't have. She knew that she was better and stronger, but the scars from her past would be ripped wide open if she came upon Jake, or any of the wolves for that matter. The second the man at her house told her that Charlie's wife lived on the reservation she knew Charlie had married Sue, she also knew that Leah and Seth lived with her at one time. The only thing she was thankful for was that the house the man told her Charlie was living at now wasn't the house that Sue had shared with Harry. It was her only hope of even coming close to avoiding at least two of the wolves.

With a thumping heart Bella grabbed the steering wheel, and turned left.

As Bella drove down La Push Road, the memories of her past with Jake began flashing through her mind- the happy times they had spent speeding down this road on their bikes, the times they'd spent in the rabbit, and the very few times she rode Jake's back alongside of the road when he was in his wolf form. She remembered the very last time she was on this road. It was the day her children had been born. She couldn't remember much of that trip, but it was still this road that took her there, and it would be this road that took her to her father. She had come full circle. Rolling down the window, Bella had hoped the cool air swirling through the Jeep would snap her out of her thoughts and calm her down, but it wasn't working.

When the smooth pavement slowly turned bumpy her heart picked up its pace, she didn't know how it was even possible, but she could feel her pulse shooting through her fingers given how tight her grip was on the steering wheel. As Bella rounded a small bend her breath caught. It was there that she saw the a gravel patch on the side of the road, and pulling over into the patch Bella knew where she was, knew what this meant, knew that she was at the invisible treaty line that separated the Cullens' territory from La Push. Bella could feel the hysteria building; she needed to calm down.

Pulling her hood over her head she opened the door of the Jeep, and her shoes crunched against the gravel on contact. Once the door was closed she began walking toward the line. The closer Bella got to the line the more calm she felt, her hands cutting through the misty air, the breeze making her feel like she was home. It was then that a blur of red shot out of the forest causing Bella's movement to halt.

There, standing in front of her, was a russet wolf.

Everything melted away, the tension that was seeping into every part of her body just moments before was gone, it was like the weight of the world had magically been lifted off of her shoulders. Everything else was forgotten, she couldn't help herself when she began jogging toward him… _her Jake_.

Caught up in the sight of the russet fur, Bella didn't notice that the wolf was much smaller than Jake, or that his teeth were bared as he stared at her. All she could see was her Jacob; she couldn't fight what her body was doing, it was taking her back to him, taking her back home, where she should have been all these years. The snarl that ripped from the wolf's muzzle just seconds before it launched itself at her had her head snapping up, and her hood feel back, followed by her body hitting the hard ground.

The wolf's teeth were embedded in Bella's throat, her eyes were wide with horror. She couldn't think, all she could do was look at the trees in her peripheral vision, her head pressed hard into the black top and she nearly passed out. Thank god that the wolf wasn't jerking its head from side to side, was the only thought she could comprehend. The smell of her own blood invaded her senses as she felt the warmth of it ooze down her neck, soaking into her coat and undershirt. She could hear the gurgling of her own voice as she tried to suck in air and just as she prayed that the wolf would let go...he did.

Two hot hands latched onto her forearms. Seconds later, she was jerked forward before she could cover the wound on her neck. She could feel the blood already working, there was stinging in her neck and she felt the pinch of her skin tightening as it fought to get back together. When Bella was fully upright she looked into unfamiliar eyes, she didn't know who she was looking at until the spinning in her head slowed, the once sunny face was tight and full of fury the once chocolate eyes were now swirling with black. She tried to pull away but her body smacked into a wall of muscle, she could feel the heat through her clothes on her chest and back as his arms wrapped around her; sucking in deep breaths, she could only smell him where he was pressed up against her. When her breath fanned across his chest he grew rigid and began to tremble, her body was torn from his just as quickly as she was brought to him, and his hands dropped, clenching into fists; she could see the veins in the back of his hands, and his arms pulsing in what she thought was anger.

He stepped back from her, and a soft cry escaped her lips. The feel of the blood hitting her fingertips drew her attention downward, her jeans were covered in it, and the blood was dripping from her fingertips onto the ground. When her hand made contact with the gash in her throat she winced out loud, and he shifted forward almost as if he wanted to comfort her. But something was holding him back.

When he didn't make another move Bella scrambled back, nearly tripping over her shoes in the process. In the safety of the jeep her eyes met his again. Her eyes were sad and pleading and she noticed his were almost exactly the same. She couldn't stay there, she had to leave. Her neck was still healing, the burning was making her want to scratch at it, the smell of the blood was making her more ill and if she didn't leave now she didn't know if she really could stop herself from running into the pack of wolves that were literally feet from the car.

Slamming the car in drive she turned the wheel in an attempt to make a u-turn, the front tires of the jeep slid across the bumpy pavement nearly sucking her into the ditch. To her amazement Bella got control of the vehicle and she found herself driving like a bat out of hell toward the Cullen's old home. No way could she go to a hotel caked in blood and with a an open wound still healing on the side of her neck. Not slowing down Bella passed the boulder Edward had placed at the end of the driveway all those years ago, so that she would know where to turn. Screeching to a halt Bella slammed the jeep in reverse, then switched the car into four-wheel drive once she caught sight of the driveway. It was completely overgrown.

Branches and limbs were hanging low and lying across the path, the gravel barely visible, the further up the driveway she got the more clearly she could see its path, and when the branches on either side of the car disappeared she knew she was almost there. As the huge white house came into view her stomach rolled, and Bella floored the jeep to its maximum speed. She didn't care how fast she was going, or if it ran out of gas, she just had to get there before her past managed to overtake her.

**Hopefully this chapter cleared up some questions for you guys. LTM was nominated in the JBNP winter awards in the category Highest Hanky Count, I want to thank whoever took the time to do so. I really appreciate it! You can check out all the nominees at http:/jacobblack-n-pack**** . blogspot . com/p/nominees . html. Voting is open now as well. I also want to thank everyone that added LTM to their alerts and favorites.**


	16. Chapter 14 Bella POV Reunion

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A/N: So finally it's here, I know right, I'm sure you all want to choke me for how long it took to even get to the reunion chapter. I think though, or well hope that you all agree that the wait was totally worth it. Enjoy! Also I just want to thank everyone for reviewing, the support from you is amazing, and it really helps me with writing it for you. I'm sorry to say though that I have decided to disable anonymous reviews.

**Chapter 14**

The sound of crunching gravel and snapping branches was my only companion as I made my way up the overgrown drive. It was hard to see through all the brush, though every now and then, the gloomy light of day would sneak its way through the thick cover of the trees surrounding me; the gloominess kept reminding me of Jake, and of how close I'd been; I could still smell him, that very scent that had invaded my nostrils every waking hour since I'd been away; as well as the heat, heat I had been longing for...in all the years I'd been away - away from him. He had changed so much, but so little at the same time, in the sixteen years I had been gone; it shocked me. Jake was still Jacob, I knew that - I knew that he couldn't age, none of them could - but he still looked older to me, somehow... Maybe, I thought to myself, it was his anger that I had so closely encountered that had made him so much older in appearance. I had never seen Jake so angry, not at me, at least. He'd scared me. And the scent I'd thought belonged to Jacob would not leave me alone, though it no longer seemed to smell like him.

The smell increased as the big white house drew near. Even with the windows down, and the damp breeze increasingly permeating the jeep's cab, the metallic copper scent wouldn't stop making its way into every pore of my skin. The smell was almost unbearable, and I could tell now that it was mostly coming from the still-blood-drenched clothing now clinging to my body. I hadn't seen nor smelt that much blood since Mexico. As I made my way past that last bend in the drive, my mind was screaming at me to get out, to distance myself from the smell; slamming the accelerator into the floor board, I was determined to make it to the house. I saw the huge wood and glass-walled house jutting out of the forest; it welcomed me. I flew toward it, now, but, at the speed I was going, I nearly lost control; when the jeep hopped up over the concrete walkway I slammed on the brakes, and the back end whipped around, sending the jeep flying sideways through Esme's once beautiful landscaping. Before it had even stopped rocking, I grabbed my bag off the passenger seat and launched myself out of the still-moving vehicle. My legs felt like Jello, I could barely stand. I fell to my knees in the driveway, my body retching, the smell making me nauseous and sick. I looked up from the ground, wiped my tears with one hand and took a long deep breath, hoping it would compose me long enough to get back on my feet. Gripping my bag one-handed, I grabbed my other hand around one of the step bars on the side of the jeep, lifted myself up, and immediately found myself retching again from the soreness taking over me. With my body now molded to the side of the car, I staggered forward, mentally tabulating the distance between me and the front porch. Luckily it wasn't but a few steps, and I was able to fish the key Emmett had given me out of my pocket and jam it into the lock as soon as I reached the door.

I was thankful that Emmett had given me the key on the ride from Whitefish to Tacoma; at the time I was shocked that he even still had a key. He'd told me that Alice had thought I might need it, and that she had already called the necessary people in order to get the electricity and the phone turned on, as well; course, there was no guarantee that it would be on by the time I got there. I shoved the key in the lock, and shouldered the door open with a loud bang. Once in the house I pressed my back to the wall of the entry way, and slid down to the floor. Reaching forward, I grabbed the door and slammed it closed. I let out a sigh, mostly one of relief, as I leaned my head against the door to rest; then, the smell hit me again and I felt my stomach roll. I couldn't allow myself to be sick again, I thought, and I immediately started ripping off my clothes as if I was on fire.

My shoes were the first article of clothing I disposed of. I kicked them off, sending one flinging across the entry way; it hit what I assumed was Edward's grand baby piano with a loud thwack sound. The other landed in the middle of the large living room. Next, I unzipped and flung my hoodie, sending it off to the side, I gagged when I had to rip my wet shirt up over my face and my hair. Then came my bra, which was also drenched in blood. Thankfully it was a front clip, so I had only to pinch it open and then it hit the floor along with everything else. Finally reaching for the button on my jeans, I cursed myself internally for wearing the skinny kind. Skinny jeans were usually hard enough to get off even in a normal situation, but now, given that they were covered with blood that was drying practically gluing them to my legs, it was sure to be a chore. I didn't think I would be able to get out of them, and I knew I didn't have the strength to rip them off. Resolved to hooking my thumbs into the band, I began shifting my hips from side to side, working my underwear down my legs along with the pants. Once they were past my knees, I sat down and pulled them over my ankles. Once I'd managed to free myself from them, I lay back on the ground, as now fully exposed as the day I'd been born. I had never been so happy to be naked in all my life.

I almost laughed at myself; here I was, sitting in the Cullen's pristine white mansion on their beautiful white marble floor, completely naked. I could only imagine what this looked like; as I thought of it, my hands made their way to the wound on my neck, and I winced at the pain. At the same time I could feel my hair, which was now stiff, and matted with the same blood as my clothes. I sat up, now taking in fully the state of my appearance; I could see where the blood had already begun to stain my pale skin. Looking around I noticed that in my haste to discard my clothes I had smeared blood all over the entry way and the door. Just looking at the sight made me cringe, I would have to clean this up. But I needed to clean myself, first.

As I stood up again, straying towards the kitchen, I prayed that Alice had done what she'd promised, so that the electric was on and I could have a hot shower. I didn't really have to worry about water itself, I knew there was a well in the backyard, even though there was no city water this far out, I knew it would still work. Of course, food and electric were all good and well, but what I didn't have was food. There would be no food in a house once and still owned by vampires. Even though the appliances and other things needed for food were there, they were only for appearances. I needed food, if I was going to survive. It didn't matter that, right now, the very thought of food made me want to gag - if I didn't take my medicine with it, it would be a very bad thing; Carlisle had been adamant on that. Grabbing my bag, I dug through it for the cell phone Emmett had given me, my mind warring as I tried to recall the one number I hoped I would remember after all these years.

"Hello, this is Pacific Pizza. This is Joe, what can I getcha?"

_Oh, thank god, _I thought, in relief.

Wasting no time, but giving no thought to what I was about to do, I found myself ordering the pizza that I had ordered for Jake and myself on a weekly basis from this very restaurant back when we'd been together. It was a half meat lovers loaded with extra cheese and peppers, the other half no cheese, extra sauce, with tomatoes and spinach. I couldn't help but wonder, as I made the order, did Jake still order the pizza that way, did he even eat there at all, still, or not. After placing my order I had begged Joe to deliver it, even though he'd refused once, stating that the address was too far out. I then pulled out the big guns, and told him just who was ordering the pizza. That got him, and only the clanging of oven doors in the background and orders being shouted by Joe himself drifted over the line, in response. For more than a minute this continued, when I asked if he was still there I heard a sigh, followed by a soft chuckling sound. Then his voice spoke again, and he was amused.

"I haven't had this order in ages," he said, laughing now. "I should have known it was you, Bella." Course he wasted no time in welcoming her back. "I'm glad you're home. Have you seen your father yet?"

I mentally rolled my eyes, why was that always the first thing asked when someone realized it was me? I told him, speaking quickly to hide my irritation, that I hadn't seen my dad yet, but that he was my next stop after getting something to eat. When he agreed to deliver the pizza, I warned him about the driveway, but he assured me that it would be fine, since the delivery guy had a pickup of his own. Now all I had to do was wait.

I hung up and pushed myself off the counter I'd been leaning against and moved back out of the kitchen. I stopped in the entryway, to lay my wallet out so that I'd have it when the pizza arrived, then I began slowly climbing the stairs toward the second floor. As I reached the threshold I noticed the spot where the huge graduation cap mural once hung, and I smiled when I remembered seeing it on the wall of the house in Whitefish. It was when I reached the topmost steps of the second floor that I sucked in a breath. The door to Edward's old room was open before, my heart skipped a beat as I stared through it. I couldn't stop the memories, as they flooded through me: the hours I'd spent, on the black sofa he owned in place of a bed, studying while he sat on the floor and watched me. Of how he'd try to get me to dance with him, while one of his many various selections of music filtered through the room. The times before everything in my life had crumbled around me. I stepped inside, and my heart skipped another beat, my hand faltering against the bare wood frame. The room that was once so Edward was now an empty room, with a wall of empty shelves, it was just like the look in his eyes the last time I saw him- empty.

I couldn't stand the emptiness any longer, so I left Edward's room and went into the one down the hall from it, stopping when I was halfway inside. It was Alice and Jasper's old room, I remembered from the times Alice would make me up in here against my will. It seemed huge now, without the vanity, the dressers and bench that once cluttered the space were gone as well; unlike the rest of the Cullens, Alice Cullen would have never left any of her belongings at the old house in Forks. Emmett, and Rose and Edward, had left nearly everything that wasn't personal behind them, but not Alice. Looking further into the room, I noticed that the doors to the walk-in closet were still open, the island that had once held all of her jewelry and accessories was now covered with a white cloth that was blanketed by a thick cloud of dust.

The final stop of my singular tour was the luxurious bathroom just to the right of the closet doors. Closing my eyes in anticipation, I placed my finger on the switch, once again praying silently to myself that Alice had indeed carried out her last promise to me. With a flip of my finger, I released the breath I'd been holding as the lights illuminated the dusty room, the sight of her extremely huge walk-in shower making goose bumps appear on my skin. Overjoyed I stepped inside, closing the door softly behind me; I should have known that Alice would keep her word.

I turned the faucet to the hottest setting, cringing slightly when a groaning of the pipes and air sputtering out signaled the water rushing through the shower head. I scrunched my nose up when it began to pour down on me; it smelled of rotten eggs, and had taken on a rusty brown color. I decided I'd give it time to adjust and left it running while I searched for what little supplies I'd brought with me. Remembering I'd left my bag downstairs, I grabbed one of the dust covers off the island, and using it as a towel I ran back down to the entryway to grab my bag and bring it back up with me to the bathroom. It was full of steam, and it still smelled awful when I got back up there. I wanted so badly to open the window, but thought better of it when I noticed that it was full on raining outside. I'd just have to settle for what I had, I decided as I climbed back into the shower, moaning in satisfaction when the stinging heat made contact with my freezing skin. I ducked my head under the water, allowing the heat to flow through my hair and down my face, across my chest and over my back. Once again, I found myself reminded of Jacob.

The heat drawing forth from the shower head reminded me of the feeling of Jake's warm hands when they had grabbed my upper arms as he'd pulled me up from the ground. The hug that had followed was quick, and full of anger, I remembered that not a second sooner had passed before I'd been pushed away from him. The tears started pouring forth, stinging at the back of my eyes before they seeped beneath my closed lids. Even being in Edward's house, everything reminded me of Jacob. Jake. God, how I missed him. However, the heat consuming me now wasn't the heat I wanted, I knew this. This false heat, though it turned my skin the darkest shade of red wasn't enough, wasn't what I wanted, it was all a lie all of it. I wanted _his_ body pressed to mine, to just feel it enveloping me, consuming me, warming me from the inside out. A stab of embarrassment shot through me, as I realized that I had forgotten just how truly hot Jake actually was. Then the pain took over, and I shoved my face into my hands and let out a loud wail. I sobbed, crying for everything that I had lost, as well as everything that I was hoping to gain by coming back here. It wasn't just Jake, though he was the most important to me, but it was also my kids, and Charlie, maybe all of the friends I hoped would still remember me just as well as I remembered them. But Jake was the forefront thought on my mind. Even though I knew he was imprinted now, I swore to myself, then and there, that I was going to fight for him, I had to fight for him. I wanted him, he was mine, he should have been mine all this time but Victoria had stolen him from me. There was no way another girl, not human, vampire or even werewolf, was going to get in the way of me and him ever again. I just hoped, beyond anything, that he would be willing to fight for me, too.

Once I was certain I was as clean as I could be I stepped out of the shower and glanced at myself in Alice's floor length mirror. I was no longer pale, but my skin wasn't stained with blood either. It was flushed bright red from the hot water, and from where I'd scrubbed myself clean to the point of nearly being raw. I felt clean, but I turned my head, and my shoulders slumped forward when I saw the little dots of red connected by a thin jagged line across my skin. I hadn't been so seriously injured since that last night in Mexico, and I'd thought that with everything else going on then that I couldn't possibly have anymore scars. Obviously I was wrong. No longer interested in my self-examination I walked away from the bathroom back to my bag, and proceeded to find some comfortable clothes, the only ones I'd brought with me in the bag that contained just about everything I'd decided I would need from here on out.

The sleep clothes I'd chosen clung to my still-wet body as I descended the stairs. I held my nose, sure I would get hit again by the smell of the blood I hadn't yet cleaned up. The rain seemed to have picked up outside, I could hear it coming down in sheets, pounding against the glass windows to my left and to my right. I padded barefoot back into the kitchen in search of cleaning supplies, some part of me wondering why I hadn't done this before now; surely, it would have been better to shower _after_ I'd cleaned up my mess; maybe I'd just been putting it off. Sweeping my hair up into an off-shoulder bun, I walked out of the kitchen with the only cleaning solution I could find - bleach, which had been leftover from my disaster of an eighteenth birthday party - and proceeded toward where the smell was the strongest, in the front hall. The bleach was diluted enough that I could clean without gloves, thankfully, though it was strong enough still that I could smell the clean once I was through with it. It did need to be done, I reasoned with myself, especially with the pizza delivery guy set to arrive at any minute. The last thing I needed now that I was back was for him to tell anyone who'd listen that the long-disappeared Miss Swan was now holed up in the former Cullen residence with blood smeared all over the walls.

It didn't take long to scrub down the marble floors and the sides of the door I'd clung to in my haste to get inside the house upon arrival. I balled all of the clothes I'd discarded and used as cleaning rags into a pile, then set them inside Esme's trash compactor and closed the lid. My shoe was still lying atop Edward's piano, and once I was certain the cleaning was through I made my way over and picked it up, tossing it into the bucket along with the remaining rags. Not as bad as I'd thought, quietly to myself.

I sat back on my knees, taking in the dusty cloth that partially covered the baby piano. Fisting it in one hand, I swept back, yanking it clean off but without sending any of the dust flying around me. I ran my hand over the smooth shiny surface, the memories flooding back into my mind's eye. A smile spread over my face, as I recalled Edward sitting here at this very spot, followed by dreams of all of our time together: the first dream I'd dreamt of him, the first time I had caught him as he had watched me sleeping in my room, our first kiss, the first time I had set foot in this his parent's house, and the thoughts that had overtaken me as he had introduced me to his family. I could feel the tears, the warm trickling against my skin as they slid down my cheeks the closer I got to his other most prized possession. The lullaby he had written and played for me countless times permeated my mind as my fingers brushed over the ivory keys. More thoughts appeared, as I touched the different pieces of wood. The baseball game with my almost family, the events of the last eighteen years set into motion, the pain I had caused my father when I'd had to run away from the nomad James, the panic I'd felt, when James had convinced me that he'd had my mother held hostage, James biting me and Edward sucking the venom out of my body so that I could remain human, my eighteenth birthday... I shuddered, remembering the third day after that, when Edward had left me alone in the woods, then to Mexico, and finally when I'd returned, and seeing Jacob with his imprint, my betrayal against him when I'd slept with Thomas... If it had not been for the choices I had made all those years ago, none of it, none of this, would have ever taken place.

I started sobbing, again, leaning myself forward so that I was resting against the keyboard, arms around my middle and tears streaming down my cheeks and into my hair. I cried, for the things I couldn't but so desperately wished to change. My children were there, swimming before my eyes. What I could see of them made the tears fall faster; they were beautiful, as beautiful as I remembered before they'd been taken away from me, before I'd been taken from them. And Jake, even more beautiful than I'd've imagined him to be, he there. He, instead of Edward, was God to me. I'd never seen that till now. But the time I'd lost, the time I could never get back - the time with my family, with Charlie, with the pack - I couldn't bring it back, I couldn't change it. I wanted so badly to tell Charlie that it was all a mistake, that I was stupid and selfish, and that if he'd just give me a chance that I would never leave him ever again, never again. The same applied to Jacob. I had to convince Jacob that I-

A loud banging on the front door snapped me out of my thoughts. I stood up, wiping the tears from my eyes and moved toward the place I'd left my wallet, grabbing it up and holding it as a source of comfort as I answered the door. I yanked out a wad of cash large enough that it would surely make the delivery boy happy a million times over, and swung the door wide open. The apology I'd made for dragging the poor guy out into this raging stormy weather, that had slowly begun to form in my throat froze, before I could think to get it out; I just stood there, jaw dropped open and my hands balled around the cash I'd been prepared to hand over.

There, standing before me with a large pizza box in hand on the Cullen's front porch, was Jake. His expression was a mixture of anger and longing, though he mostly just looked pissed off that he even had to be here. I could no longer think of anything, without noticing it I had gripped the door frame harder. He didn't speak, he just shoved past me, his foot stopping between me and the door, effectively ripping it out of my grasp and kicking it so that it slammed shut behind him. I stood, turning my back to him, gaping like a wide-mouthed bass. He didn't acknowledge me, I could hear him making his way into the kitchen, a thud indicating he'd tossed the pizza box onto the counter followed, and then he was making his way back toward me. I could feel the puffs of hot air on the back of my neck, as well as the heat radiating off of him in waves. I almost fainted, but I knew I had to turn and face him, knew that I had to set things straight. As soon as I found the voice that had abandoned me.

Ever so slowly I turned, my eyes downcast and my mouth opened to speak, but before I could even get out so much as a sound he had roughly placed his palm against my mouth and my head was shoved backward so hard that I couldn't do much more than stare as I was met with his black eyes staring back at me. His eyes were filled with anger, and another emotion I could only assume was hate. This was it, I thought, my eyes unable to tear away from his. He was going to kill me. That I'm now in the Cullen house, and had reeked of vampire when I'd ran into him earlier was further indication that I should die now while he had the chance. I braced myself, my mouth once again falling open, ready to plead my side of this case. But he wasn't having it.

"Don't you dare say a word," he ground out, teeth clenched in his anger. "Not a word, Bella."

The puffs of heated air fanning across my face blew the stray hairs that had fallen out of my bun across my face. My body trembled slightly, I wasn't sure if he was going to phase and kill me, or just destroy me with his bare hands. Which would be worse. I could only look back at him and nod. He was closer now, his hand on my mouth, nullifying any chance I had to speak. The tears stung at my eyes again, betraying me. Would the pain of this reunion never end?

My gaze traveled downward again, and it was then that I noticed that Jake was only wearing cut-off shorts, and nothing else. Upon further inspection, I could see the rain dripping down his russet body, and I could even feel the wetness in my hair as it dripped out of his own hair onto mine. He noticed me looking at him, and without any more thought his hand was replaced by his burning mouth, and I was shoved roughly up against one of the entryway pillars, with so much force that all the remaining air left my lungs in a gasp. Fire sprang up in every part of me as Jake's lips forced mine apart, tongues battling now for dominance. He grabbed the side of my face, while pulling his away, and his voice was acidic as he said, "You don't get to feel like that, Bella, not now," and forced himself closer to me. I tried to shake my head, eyes widening in shame. It was true, I knew it. I shouldn't be allowed to be turned on by the almost naked man in front of me, we both knew it. I shook again as he forced my head back, and only then did I notice where my leg had ended up; wrapped around his waist, along with the other one. Jake noticed it too.

"I hate you," he hissed, his gaze now completely black on my face, burning. "I hate you for leaving us." The pain of his words sliced through my heart like diamonds on glass. I started to drop my legs from his waist, but his hot hands dropped my face and gripped harshly onto each of my thighs. "No," he ordered me, his grip tightening to the point of pain. My body was pressed so hard into the pillar that there wasn't room enough for my lungs to expand and gather air. Jake was keeping me up by pressing himself into me, his voice husky, tone icy, as he whispered, "You aren't going anywhere, you hear me? You're going to stay right here, and you are going to deal with the consequences of you leaving me and _my_ kids all those years ago. Do you understand me, Bella?"

"Answer me, Bella." I nodded, while my mind screamed at me that if he'd only known that I didn't want to leave him, that this would all be unnecessary. I hadn't wanted to leave, it wasn't my choice. But I knew, in my heart, that those last sixteen years that I had been gone had not only been hard on me, but that they had been especially hard on Jacob, and on my children, and I knew that I would take anything Jake was willing to give me now that I had returned to him. I resigned myself to whatever was planned for me by my once-lover and by the hands of Fate, before his lips were on my neck and I was once again ripped away from my thoughts. I shuddered in surprise.

I couldn't do it, I couldn't contain the heat that had once again reignited in my core. How sick was this, that here I was about to get my throat ripped out by my ex-lover, and I was getting seriously turned on. The heat spread as his mouth made its way to the dip in my neck, and I shook harder as his teeth sunk in deep, almost past the skin. A cry escaped my lips, as his teeth dug deeper, deeper than I could ever imagine them going, I was sure they were even touching now somewhere beneath the surface. He bit down, harder still, and wouldn't release me now. My body went stiff, I thought he was going to pull away and rip my skin out, it hurt more than I could admit; pain coursed me through me as I recalled the times that Victoria and Edward had bit me while I'd been away, but this was Jake, my Jake, and my body could not help reacting to him as his jaw clenched harder and he held himself against my neck, his other hand gripping me tightly against my thigh around his waist. Now, all he would have to do was to shake his head, like the predator he was, and it would all be over.

While he held himself there against my neck, Jake's hands had begun to run up along my thighs and across my ribs. I could feel his hands shaking as they ghosted over the sides of my breasts, before finally coming to rest back against my cheeks. His jaw then unclenched releasing my skin, and he moved back to my neck and licked the wound he'd just created. I sputtered at the gesture, crying again when I realized that my nails were now digging small holes into the skin of his broad shoulders. I released them, slowly unlatching my fingers so that I could cover them over my face.

"No!" he said again, batting my hands away and he crashed his lips back into mine. I could taste my blood now on his lips, but I was so consumed as his breath met my own that I couldn't think to be nauseated any longer by the coppery taste. Still shoving himself as close as he could get, I heard a ripping sound, and the next moment my brain registered my shirt landing on the floor. Another rip tore through the question in my mind, and now I noticed my torn sleep pants had joined my shirt. I was naked again, and wrapped fully around Jake against the pillar. The heat was all-consuming now, wrapping around the both of us, bringing me to the brink of my insanity. I had no idea what was happening, but my mind would not allow me to work up to what I knew was about to take place. I could only move my head, as Jake began kissing along my neck, his heat coursing through me like an adrenaline rush as he kissed the bite he'd just given me.

"Jake, I need…" was as far as I got before his mouth was on mine again. "Jake..."

"I said no, Bella," he hissed. "You don't get to talk." He pulled away, I could see his eyes, they were swimming with a murderous expression. the look of murder still in his eyes. I shook my head, scared to open my mouth, but I had to tell him. I had to tell him about Thomas before we did this, because he had to know. I had never felt bad for having sex with Jake before, but the moment his lips met mine regret washed over me. Then I thought of the imprint, and fresh waves of guilt washed over me. How could he be doing this? I wondered to myself, Was he already fighting it? How was this possible?

"But, Jake, I have to…" His hand slapped back over my mouth, stinging my lips and my cheek where his fingers rested against it. He looked terrifying as he stared back at me.

"I said NO!" he ground out again. I could feel the growl behind his words resonating throughout his chest, and I couldn't help the small yelp that escaped me as he pulled me back, yanking me forward and then shoving me back into the pillar, effectively shutting me up. This time, his hands had dropped to my waist, fingers almost touching my back. I didn't know if he was always that huge, or if he was now, or if I was just always that small. But his fingers were almost touching against the small of my back, digging into my flesh as his lips made their way quickly to my chest.

I loosened my legs on his waist, enough that he could shove me up against the wall. He was holding both hands against my thighs now, my chest in his line of sight, he looked at me and shook his head before he devoured one of my breasts into his hot mouth. A loud moan filled the room, followed by the resounding crack of my head hitting the column behind me. Jake's movements were relentless, his tongue moving so fast that breathing was impossible; the pleasure I was feeling when he wasn't working his tongue over my mouth only increased as he began biting my nipple and then the flesh of my body, his movements softer now but still sending shivers coursing through me.

Making sure to maintain contact with my body, Jake worked his way to my other breast after he'd assaulted the first one to his liking. He repeated his actions, licking, biting, sucking. My body was writhing, and shaking, and his fingertips continued to dig into my waist so that he wouldn't drop me. I kept having to adjust the hold I had on him with my legs so that I wouldn't slip, though I knew that now I was in his arms he wouldn't dare let me go.

Once he was satisfied with my chest, Jake loosened his hands on my back and worked them upwards and under my arms. His hands hooked under my arms and onto my shoulders and then he shoved my body back down onto his, only this time there was pain mingling with the heat; Jake was inside me, his body flushed now against mine.

"Oh, my god!" I cried out, as the heat of him inside me sliced me right through my core. I wasn't sure, sure if it was the pain of not being with someone in so long, or if it was the cause of him being inside me that had me feeling as if I were burning from the inside out. I didn't really care, either. Jake was inside me, it had been so long since someone had filled me so fully, and never had it been with that much force... My brain only registered one thought, one irrelevant thought, so unimportant in this situation: when had Jake gotten his shorts off?

I was fighting now, clawing at his arms in an attempt to escape the pain burning me, but he held me there against him, his shuddering breaths flaming my neck, shaking me where he held me in his arms. I stilled, my movements making his grip on me worse, and my head fell to his shoulder, my own lips placing an unconscious kiss to his neck before I bit down in a similar fashion to his own previous bite on my neck. The pain was too intense, I had to release it somehow, and when my teeth sunk into his flesh he shoved himself forward, thrusting wildly until he was hitting me in a spot he never had before. With another shudder and another mix of painful pleasure, I bit down harder into his flesh, the tears rushing forward again until they were streaming out of my eyes.

From that moment, everything between us was touch only, no words exchanged. Jake dug his nails into my shoulders, locking me in place as he started thrusting harder into me; the slapping of his skin against mine was stinging me in the best possible way. My teeth were still sucking the skin of his neck into my mouth as he pummeled me, but I wouldn't dare ask him to stop; it hurt so good. The pain my body was feeling from being forced to readjust to his size after all this time was more than worth it for the pleasure I was receiving. His strokes soon became erratic, his rhythm faltered, and once again he buried his head into my shoulder and bit down, causing me to jerk forward at the sensations coursing through me. I calmed, holding onto him now as his hot seed filled me, him slumping forward with his hands against either side of the pillar, and quick pants made their way across my neck; I could feel him shaking again, though he wasn't trembling as much as before. He turned us around, still holding onto me, and slid downward until he was sitting on the floor, with me on his lap. Still trying to catch his breaths, I let my mouth make its way slowly up and down along his neck, just kissing him. The more I kissed him the less he shook, and I could feel him drawing himself out of me. I felt empty, but only for a second, and then he was back in me again. Slowly pumping himself in and out of me, he shuddered again as my mouth found one of his earlobes, his breaths ragged as I drew it into my mouth and sucked the salty taste of his skin. This was how it used to be, between us, slow and loving, I missed this so much. But instead of telling him like I wanted to, I began kissing the spot just behind his ear that he had always liked, a ripple ran through him, and then he stiffened, hands lax now against my sides.

His gaze burned into mine, as he pulled away to look at me. His voice was broken, and full of anguish. "I can't do this," he whimpered, desperately trying to hold his tears at bay. "I can't do this, Bells." My nickname falling from his lips made me smile. But then the reality of what he was telling me made the smile dissipated. He was telling me that he couldn't do this- the imprint. I wanted to beg, to beg for him to stay and to fight it, to stay with me. But when I opened my mouth to speak, he shook his head. "No, Bella. I can't do this- I can't go slow, not anymore. It's been too long, and I'm so pissed at you, right now. I can't control myself, the anger that's been bottled up for so long is impossible to contain." He sounded so defeated as he stared at me, all I could was nod. I had agreed that I would take whatever he would give me, this was him - my Jacob- I would take whatever he would give, whether it was rough or painful or not. I wanted this; every part of it, in any way he would give it.

I saw the conflict battling across his features, and I drew my bottom lip into my mouth and nodded again, assuring him that he could go on. I knew that me biting my lip always ate at his self-control, and it must have been haunting him for the past sixteen years because suddenly he was grabbing a hold of me and slamming me back down into his lap, filling me almost to the point where I could feel him in my womb. My head slammed back into his shoulder and a strangled moan broke through my teeth. I couldn't even right my head to look at him, because every time I did Jake would lift me up and slam me back down again, his mouth on me covering every inch of me that he was able to reach. The sounds filling the room now were a series of moans and grunts, as Jake continuously lifted me up and slammed me back down onto his pulsating shaft. I screamed, holding onto his shoulders with all the force I had left. My body felt numb from the pleasure I was experiencing now, but I'd be damned if I would dare to tell him to stop.

"Oh god, Bella," he panted, his breath so ragged it was a wonder he could form coherent words. "You're so tight, honey. And you smell so good." He started kissing me again, leaving trails of fire wherever his lips touched my sweat-covered flesh. "You like this, Bells?" he asked, his kisses trailing downward, and back across my chest. "You like it like this, so rough?"

I couldn't formulate an answer, my mind was screaming at him that I would like anything he gave me. Before I could even think of answering, I felt him lifting us upward, then, with me still attached to him, he began making his way toward the living room, and my butt met the cool wood of the piano before my body followed, where Jake pushed me down and slipped himself away from my aching warmth. I stared up at him in shock.

"He used to play songs for you on this, didn't he, Bella?"

He, what? "Jake... It doesn't matter, Jake. He doesn't matter...never again," I tried to tell him. He put his hands behind my knees and roughly dragged me to him, the skin of my back squeaking along the wood as I slid across it. He then grabbed my ankles, placing both feet on the icy keys, my butt resting against the very edge. I could hear the rumble in his chest when he spoke again, "Did he play songs for you on this, Bella?" I nodded, not knowing if he could see my silent reply. But then his lips were on me again, and I jerked forward in shock. No one, not even Jake, had done _this_ to me before now.

_Jake_, I pleaded silently, hands fisting his hair as my legs locked around either side of his face. I couldn't help but pull away the more his tongue and teeth ravished my body. Involuntarily I found myself arching up off the top of the piano when he sunk two fingers inside me, and my legs fell wide, again I couldn't think. I was a burning woman, and this amazing sensation of his tongue and fingers working together in sync had me speechless. But it wasn't enough. I wanted Jake back inside me, all of him inside me. I started to whimper, wanting him so badly to be inside me again. To my surprise he chuckled, which shocked me and made me want to slap him at the same time, then he withdrew himself completely from my body.

My head shot up, and he was standing in front of me, hands around his shaft, pumping it slowly. I lifted up on my elbows, prepared to scurry back off the piano when he placed those hands on either side of me, his body kneeling before me so that his knees were on the keys and he was crawling toward me, a predator after his prey. He hooked his arms back under my knees, lifting me back up off the piano, and then sunk his shaft fully back inside my warm walls.

"More!" was the only word I could conjure, before he quickly started thrusting back into me, my legs still held in his arms and my butt lifting up and falling back down against the smooth surface of the piano. I had no control now, and instead of scaring me, I found myself excited by this side of Jake. I could feel the burning increasing, and knew I was getting close. I bit my lip again, reveling in the feeling of being with Jake once more; it had been so long, too long.

Jake was getting close, too. I could see it in his eyes. He pushed into me faster, harder, and his hand left my leg to reach down between us so that he could touch that pleasure point throbbing between my legs. He pinched it between two fingers, rolling and pinching, my head pressing into the wood and my body arched further into his, but he didn't pull away only stayed, his body still now. Slowly he pulled out, before slamming back into me once again, keeping us connected all the while. The feelings I was receiving were nothing like I had ever had, I could feel Jake growing, twitching inside of me, with each rapid thrust of his hips against my own I became unglued.

"You like that, Bella?" He panted, barely able to speak but a few words at a time. "I'm going to make you come so hard," he promised, hitting me harder and harder with each thrust. "So hard, you won't know what hit you." Again he pummeled into me, then he paused, grinding his hips into mine; it almost felt like he was trying to become one with me. He did it again, and again, and I lost what little control I'd thought I had. My hands flew to the sides of the piano, gripping with more force than I imagined myself capable of. My body was convulsing so much now that I thought maybe I might have an attack, but Jake wouldn't let me go. He just kept slamming into me, then pausing, then grinding his hips into my hips, an almost sinister grin stretched across his russet cheeks. It felt so good, so damn good, but it also hurt. Jake wasn't letting me down from my high, instead he would bring it right back up again, and when it became too much for me to handle my arms flew around his waist as I tried to push my body back from his.

"No," he forced out, before yanking my hips forward and hitting me so hard that stars burst in front of my eyes. Warm spurts of his cum shot through me, my legs and arms fell limply at my sides, and because I could no longer hold onto him I felt myself falling back, my head hitting the top of the piano with a dull thud. His warm body covered my own shaking form long enough that I could control my breathing, though the tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach lingered before the warmth disappeared.

I lifted my head, then dropped it again; Jake was gone, he'd disappeared. I looked to the side just in time to see his naked form disappearing into the kitchen. I lay there, shaking on top of the piano for another minute while staring at the ceiling, one hand rubbing my lower abdomen at the same time. I was still in a state of shock. I couldn't believe it, that Jake was here, in the Cullen's house, and that we had had sex, not once but twice, both in their entryway and on... Oh, my god, we'd had sex on Edward's piano! And now Jake was gone.

Willing myself to move but trying very hard not to let myself fall off onto the floor, I climbed down from the piano and made my way carefully towards the kitchen. To my relief I saw Jake sitting at the island on one of the stools, the pizza box lying open, and his side was nearly eaten while mine remained untouched. He looked at me, swallowing before he spoke. "You better get something to eat. We're not done here, not yet."

My eyes widened, though he'd already looked away. I wasn't sure how many more sexual encounters I could take with him tonight.

Knowing he wasn't leaving until he'd said his piece, verbally, physically, or otherwise, I only nodded and pulled myself up onto the stool beside him. His gaze was darting all around the kitchen now, resting on anything that wasn't me. He couldn't look at me, he wasn't even trying. I hung my head, distracting myself with the food that was now calling to me to eat it. Halfway through, I noticed Jake getting up and walking out of the kitchen. He didn't say a word, and the sound of a door clicking soon followed. A part of me knew he wasn't yet gone, he wouldn't let me go that easily. I left the pizza, no longer hungry, and left, my eyes scaling the glass walls for a sign of Jacob. He wasn't out there, so I decided to head back upstairs. I needed another shower.

I re-entered Alice's room and took my pills, knowing I'd nearly neglected them in my surprise since Jake had arrived. I then climbed into the shower, knowing Jake would find me when he was ready to do so. I turned on the shower for the second time in one day, waiting until the steam rose and then letting my head rest against the cool tile, the water beating down against my now-aching back. Was it possible to get wood-burn? I wondered.

As I reached out for the soap, the sound of the door clicking closed caught my attention. I didn't open my eyes, just drew my head back into the water, letting it flow over my face and down my neck. A bottle being opened met my ears, its contents being squeezed out of the tube, then the lid snapped shut again and all was quiet.

Despite knowing it was coming, I jerked in surprise when I felt Jake's hot hand resting above my rapidly beating heart. He kept it there for a while, then he slowly started making soft circles in the middle of my chest, letting them get bigger and bigger until he was rubbing my breasts and the outer part of my ribs. His soapy hands moved downward, stroking my stomach in a similar fashion, then dipped further still; with very tender strokes, Jake began to clean me down there. I was sore, and swollen, and when his hands made contact my hands flew to his arms, squeezing gently when he hit a still-tender spot. He chuckled, then very quickly he turned me around, pressing my naked back to his chest as he let the water wash away the soap. His hands rubbed over every inch of my front, his hand then dipped down between my legs. I could feel a slight rumbling in his chest as one of his middle fingers slipped into my wet folds. I lay back, head resting against his shoulder, my butt arching into his very prominent erection. He placed a hand on my back, trying to tilt me forward, but I wasn't ready for him to see the scars that Victoria had given me. I was sure that if they'd been made aware, that he would have already seen them. That he hadn't flipped out and demanded to know their origin told me they hadn't yet been discovered.

Our bodies pressed tightly together made it almost impossible to move, but I managed until I was facing his beautiful back. I stepped away, not looking at him, and took some body wash, then began washing him as he had done to me. My eyes raked over him, widening a little when I saw he had his own scar right above his left butt cheek, one I had never noticed before. How was he able to get a scar, I wondered, and why on his ass? When had this happened? He was practically purring as my hands trailed over his back and around to his chest. I let my hands lower until I found his shaft, bringing him into my hands I slipped my hands up and down, cleaning him until he turned and let the water rinse the soap off his back. I then left him, stepping away and out of the shower, grabbing the sheet I had left upstairs as I made my way back into Alice and Jasper's bedroom.

Looking around, it suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea where I was going to sleep tonight; of course there was no beds- not when a house full of vampires had no need for sleep. I remembered the black leather sofa again, from Edward's room, though I had no desire whatsoever to sleep on it. I had no desire to be anywhere in that room again, for that matter. I walked into the hall and searched the closet between Alice and Edward's rooms. I prayed to myself that some of the down comforters the Cullens had purchased to keep me warm were still there.

The closet was stacked high with comforters. Thanking my lucky stars I grabbed a few and examined them. They were huge and mostly white, made of goose down, almost too heavy for me alone to lug back into the room. I took four of them out and made a sort of makeshift bed on the floor of Alice's room. I was just laying the last one down when Jake made his way into the room. Water dripped off of his spiky hair, dropping in rivulets down the hard planes of his abs and into that V that led to his... I blushed, noting that I was staring straight at his crotch. He didn't even move, probably noticing me noticing him.

In the years since I'd been away, Jake had grown a treasure trail. His chest was still hair free, but that trail that led from his belly button down to his now-sheet covered crotch made me shiver, my nipples hardening again out of sheer pleasure. _God, could this man be anymore beautiful_?

Another low chuckle filled the room, and my embarrassment level shot through the roof. I must have been staring longer than I'd intended, while he just stood there continuing to let me. I looked up, meeting his eyes, the sadness and hint of anger that still lay beneath the dark pools of black hid a twinkle in them that I could just make out. I dropped my head, shaking it as a small smile tugged at my lips. Of course being this was Jake, I knew that at some point he would rib me for my inability to ogle him openly. He knew exactly what effect on me, and he obviously wasn't caring that I was embarrassed or hell that I could even control myself around him. Maybe, I thought, he was seeing how far he could take the eye-fucking I was now giving him without my knowledge before I cracked.

When I managed to look up again, I found that Jake now had his back propped up against the glass wall that overlooked the forest, the sheet now lying beside the cover bed, one of them just barely covering himself. He patted one hand against his lap with a gleam in his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips. I padded over and stood in front of him, reaching for the knot in my towel before I let it fall to my feet in front of him.

_Jake_, I silently said in my mind, as he drew in a breath of air and growled quietly in his chest. He reached up, both hands gripping my waist and tugging me down into his lap; the cover was now gone, only skin on skin remained. Our eyes locked, as he began tracing the shape of my face with the pad of his index finger, his fingers pushing my wet hair behind my ear and over my shoulder. He leaned forward slightly, then placed a soft kiss on the bite mark he'd given me earlier. A shiver rolled through me, and the heat in my core spiked. Jake was right, we were not through, tonight was not over for us just yet.

He ran his hands down between my breasts, the trail of fire left in his wake with that single finger made me suck in my stomach with a gasp. He then reached down between our bodies and grabbed himself, teasing me by running the tip of his cock along my swollen folds. I couldn't help but rock myself against him, as he kept running his tip back and forth, relentless again, his gaze lustful and black as his eyes stayed locked on mine.

Jake ran his hand down between my breasts down my belly the trail of fire he was leaving with that single finger made me suck my stomach in with a gasp. He reached down between us grabbed himself and ran the tip of his dick along my swollen lips. I couldn't help but rock into his heat, as he kept running his tip back and forth teasing me. Our eyes were still locked but the pleasure I was feeling I was fighting to hold Jake's intense gaze. "Look at me, Bells," he murmured, his voice husky and warm. "I want to see your face when I slip inside you."

I bit my lip in reply, nodding my head as I waited for him to quickly thrust himself into me as he had done over and over again just a few moments before. But this time was different.

Jake stilled his hand, just when his tip was in line with my core, and ever so slowly he pulled me toward him, wrapping first my feet around his waist while shifting forward, before he entered, teasing me again, moving just enough to taunt me with wanting him. It was just right, I could feel every inch of him, and my head started to fall back against his demands that I remain locked in his line of sight. I felt his hand running through my hair, tilting my head forward again. "Look at me," he repeated, pleading with me now. "I want you to watch me make love to you, Bella. I don't want you to look away." It took everything I had left in me to give him a quick nod in affirmation.

His right hand then traveled down my spine, coming to a rest against my ass, while his left hand moved around my hip to cup my other cheek. He squeezed my cheeks, while continuing to pull me forward along his shaft. Never leaving his gaze, the weight of the situation started to crash down on me. Jake's hands squeezing my ass and rolling his hips against my hips, his hot breath fanning my face, the sheen of sweat forming an almost-blanket over our shaking bodies. The tears sprung forth again, leaking out of the corners of my eyes, as sixteen years of Jake's pain, my family's pain, and my pain consumed us both. I'd wondered, several times, if I would ever had come back and been able to live a semi-normal life again, if I would have been able to have a moment like this again with Jake. I looked at Jake and he was starting to cry, too. With one last squeeze and rolling of his hips, Jake's hands made their way back up and under my arms to grip my shoulders, bringing me closer still so that hardly any space existed between us. I was beginning to like this, to feel Jake's hands gripping me tightly as he brought my body down onto his, his chest pressed to mine. It was like he was locking me down, not letting anything get between us, and the strength he exuded wasn't harmful but comforting me, in a way that told me he wouldn't let anything take me away from him again.

His head dropped to my shoulder, and mine came to a rest against his, as we both stilled, just breathing the other in. His body sagged into mine, begging me for any kind of support. I wanted to love Jake, to show him in every way possible that I did still love him, that I was sorry for not being here for my family, and for him. My hands threaded into his hair, and I started rocking myself forward, all the while whispering into his ear that I was sorry, and that I missed him, over and over and over again. I could feel his hot tears hitting my shoulder, rolling down my back as I continued my movements. My breaths were now ragged pants, the tingling in my lower belly letting me know that I was close.

"Jake," I panted, "I'm close, so close. I need to feel you, again, please Jake. Come with me." I hurried then, hoping that I would encourage him. His hands slipped down again, resting back against my ass, head still against my shoulder. He held me tightly, thrusting into me hard once before he stilled again, staying there for a moment just holding me against him in his arms. He must have hit something new, because his that moment, hands still gripping my cheeks, his cock buried as deep inside me as he could get, still pulsing, I clinched around him and gave into the feeling of total and utter satisfaction as he filled me for the third time that night.

He shook as he filled me, his voice thick and husky as he whispered, "I'm never letting you go again. You're never going to leave me again, I'll die if you do, Bella."

I slumped forward, him pressing himself harder into the glass wall as he slowly rolled to the side, my leg lowering until it came to rest alongside his leg, as he slowly slipped out of me. We whimpered in unison at the loss of contact, but Jake drew me closer to him, holding me now with his forehead touching mine, our gazes locked on one another. "I love you," I whispered, and felt a pang in my heart when he slightly stiffened at the words, then closed my eyes, as I felt myself drifting off to sleep in his arms.

****

Don't freak out on me now! All is not forgotten, Jake just had to get a few things out of the way first. The next chapter will be from his POV and we will be able to see where he is coming from.


	17. Chapter 15 Jake POV Reunion

**A/N: I hope that you all enjoy the next chapter my Beta Taylor'sLizzie rocked these two parts out super fast. I am splitting this up into two parts because this was a twenty page chapter. The song is just something I couldn't stop listening to as I pumped this one out.**

**Chapter 15**

**Jake's POV**

**Promise - Taproot**

I stood there with clenched fists, shaking slightly as I watched Bella scramble back into the jeep she had parked on the side of the road. It had been years since I had phased out of pure anger alone, but here, in this moment, it took every ounce of control I had to keep from doing just that.

Her eyes met mine through the windshield, and I could see tears streaking down her cheeks, then my ears were met by the revving of the engine and gravel spewed out into the road and past the woods as she attempted to make a U-turn. I took a step forward, when the jeep shot off the road and into the rain-soaked ditch, but just as I was getting ready to take another step, I felt a warm hand clap down onto my shoulder. I looked up to find Sam holding me in place, keeping me from going after her.

"Jake. Let her go," he told me, his grip tightening on my shoulder, "She's fine. I'm sure that jeep has a four-wheel drive, and you are in no shape to go after her." I growled at him, shrugging his hand off of my shoulder and turned around, back toward the disappearing jeep; it was gone, now, and so was she. The entire pack including Ali and CJ, were now behind me and in human form, all of them looking uneasy. I was sure they could feel the anger I was exuding.

"Embry," I demanded, without turning, "Take CJ and Ali back to the house. Sam, take the rest of the pups further into the rez, Leah, Paul, Jared, and Quil, I want you all to patrol. We don't know if the Cullens are with her, but I know for sure that jeep belongs to the big one, and she reeked of vampire."

Embry ran a hand through his hair, a frustrated sigh escaped his lips before he spoke, "Jake, man. She may have smelled like a vamp, but you and I both know she had a heartbeat. There's no way she could be a vamp if we could hear that."

"I could feel her heart beating, Dad," CJ said, with no ounce of remorse for hurting his own mother. I looked at him, a surge of anger rolling up my spine. He could have killed her, after all these years of hoping and praying she would come back; when she finally did, she was met by her own son attacking her.

I narrowed my eyes at him, my voice deadly, "What the hell do you think you were doing, CJ? That was your mother and you tried to fucking kill her! Don't you know how to listen? When someone in this pack tells you to stop and wait for them, you stop and wait for them!" I roared, and unknowingly stalking toward him. I didn't notice that I was so close until I saw him slump down in front of me.

Embry positioned himself between me and CJ, and put his hand on my chest, I wasn't even trying to control myself. "Jake, man, cool it, okay? He didn't know it was Bella, how could he? Hell, I could sense how strong the smell was just running here."

My hands were trembling again, the wolf in me screaming that CJ had tried to kill Bella, my mate, and that I needed to teach him a lesson. My human side meanwhile screamed at me that this was my son, and that even though Bella was once everything to me she hadn't been in such a long time. CJ and Ali were everything to me now, for all I knew Bella was still with the Cullens.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I swear, I didn't know it was her, I just smelled it and her face was covered. I didn't know, I swear!" CJ said, his voice cracking out of fear.

Hearing the sadness in his voice, I pushed Embry out of my way and pulled CJ close to me, "I'm sorry, kid, I just… you could have been hurt, you know that, what if there were others with her? I can't lose you."

Embry nodded toward the kids, "C'mon CJ, Ali, lets get back to the house and help Angela whip us up something to eat." They turned to walk away, and I could see Ali's shoulders still shaking slightly.

I let out a puff of air and looked around. Leah was the only one standing there, and she had a look on her face, a very familiar look. I knew that look, it meant that she was going to give me a speech I was in no mood for.

I pointed my finger at her whilst walking towards her. "Didn't I tell you to patrol, Leah?"

She blanched at that, then responded tersely, "Yes, master, you did, but I think you need to consider something first."

With a mental eye roll, I prepared myself. "What exactly should I consider, Leah?"

"Did you notice anything about Bella? I mean, anything different?"

I shook my head, "I haven't seen her in sixteen years. There is a lot of stuff different about her."

Leah grumbled under her breath, "No, Jake, there isn't A LOT different about her. Sure, there are some things: her smell, for one thing, and she's thinner and more pale than she used to be, but she didn't look much different than she did right after she had the kids, Jake."

I strained my brain to try and remember, but I couldn't, because when Bella was right here in front of me all I saw where those chocolate eyes and my mind was consumed with thoughts of her being home, as well as the rage I felt for her taking so long to come back. There was also the disgusting scent that had clung to her body that I could still smell wrinkling my nose.

Leah shook her head, and chuckled "You are setting yourself up for some bad shit, Jake," She sounded amused, now. "I can't believe you're going to just forgive her."

"Who said I was going to forgive her, Leah?" I sneered.

"Oh, Jakey boy, you don't have to tell me shit. I can see that idiot look in your eyes, it's still there, not quite as bad when you rushed to hug her or when you tried to run after her when she couldn't get control of her car, but it's there, just like it was all those years ago."

"I don't know what you're talking about." In truth, I did know what she was talking about, underneath all that anger I was still happy to know that Bella was as close as she was, but like hell was I going to admit that to Leah. I could already see that cocky smirk on her face; it would only get worse if I told her she was right.

"Whatever, Jake, I know the truth. You didn't even notice her neck, did you?" she asked with a quirk of her brow.

I stood there looking at her like she had lost her mind. Leah clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes, "Thought so, lover boy."

It was times like these when I wondered why I had chosen Leah as my Beta. She could be annoying as hell. "Leah, what are talking about?

"Well, in the few short minutes that we were here after CJ let go of her, her neck started to heal, Jake. But of course, that was hard to miss, you know? Lack of blood squirting out of her neck and all."

Was it true? I couldn't remember, my mind kept trying to play back seeing Bella again, and not once after CJ had actually let go of her did I take notice of her neck, I hadn't noticed anything but her eyes. FUCK! Why did Bella have that power over me that made me forget everything else?

"Listen, Jake. I'm not going to sit here and give you the rundown of the last sixteen years, but she left you and your kids, the pack, her family. Your kids never had a mother they really deserved, Charlie still gets upset that she never showed up for anything, including his wedding. Now, she comes back for god knows what reason, and you are all gaga eyes over her, not even noticing that one, she doesn't look much older than she used to, and two, she is healing quicker than any human. And on top of that, you yourself said that she was driving one of the leech's cars. You need to consider everything, and we need to figure out just what we are dealing with here."

"Shit, I didn't even realize about her neck! What the fuck, Leah, why the hell is she even back?"

"Good question. Maybe you should try to figure that one out."

I was pacing back and forth across the gravel road. Who did she just think she was just to come back here and all would be forgotten? Ali was crying her eyes out this morning, like she does every year waiting for her, and you could tell that CJ is still pissed about it all. It wasn't like her coming back changed everything my kids and I had gone through in the years that she had been gone. But, at the same time, I couldn't help but hope that she would stay, that we could get past those years as a family, and just be happy.

"I can't help it, though. Lee, I saw her, and it was like I was seventeen again. Bella was here, and everything just melted away. It's not like I want it to be that way." I was shaking my head, now. How is it possible that, even for a moment, I could forget the pain that she caused all of us.

I walked over to Leah and grabbed her arms, a look of horror on my face, "I almost attacked him," I whispered. "I didn't even realize I was doing it, Lee, and I almost attacked CJ for hurting her. My wolf was telling me to attack him for hurting my mate," my arms gripped her forearms tighter, desperation entering my voice, "My mate, Leah!" I yelled, in disbelief. "Why would I feel like she's my mate?" I asked the question aloud. I dropped my hands to my side and started pacing again. I was lost, I had no clue why I was feeling the way I was.

"Are you sure you didn't imprint on her, Jake? I mean, what you're talking about is totally out of character for you, we all know you would never hurt CJ. Maybe you imprinted all those years ago and you just didn't realize it because you were so close, or something. But, now that you don't have that connection with her, maybe it is just noticeable now? I mean, other than being a total dumbass, why else would you be so willing to just forget everything?"

Letting the last of her comments slide, I wondered could it be, could Bella and I really be imprinted? I had to take into consideration what Leah was saying, because it had to be true. Never would I hurt CJ, I wouldn't even wrestle with him even now for fear of hurting him, and here I am all of a sudden ready to attack him for protecting our land from a threat. At the same time, I wasn't so sure, if I had imprinted on her how could I have survived this long with out her? Sam and Paul, two of the packs' strongest, acted like they were dying when Emily and Rachel would go to the city for catering gigs, and those are only two-day stays. Bella had been gone sixteen years, and while the pain of not having her around was heartbreaking at first, I had learned to live without her. Could you really learn to live without your imprint? Not only that but there was also Lauren, whom had loved in every sense of the word. How could a wolf do that to his imprint? I was a stalemate, not really knowing what it all meant.

I stopped pacing, and gripped my hair, "I don't know, Leah. And how would we ever find out? It's not like the Elders really know anything more about imprinting than they used to. I just need time to think this shit through. I need to talk to her and find out what the hell is going on, if any of them are with her, and why she came back."

"Oh, don't forget to ask her what happened with her and her leech, Jake. You need to know ahead of time if you are going to get your heart stomped on again." Leah said, sarcasm and anger laced in her voice.

"Alright, Leah. I get it, okay. I'm not going to go to her and go all idiot on you again. I need to know for the safety of the rez and my pack what her plans are."

"Sure, sure." Leah said, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, now that that is settled, I need you to stop by the house and make sure the kids are alright, and let Embry know what is going on before you patrol."

"Sure, Oh Mighty One." Leah grumbled, as she turned on her heel and walked away into the forest.

I started walking on foot, down the road leading to Forks; I didn't want anyone in my head. I needed to think, about what Leah said about the imprint, and about how I had acted toward CJ. What I was going to say to Bella when I found her? There was no doubt in my mind she was staying at the Cullen's old house, Charlie's old house still had renters in it, and surely the only owner of the motel in Forks would have contacted Charlie if Bella were to check in.

As I made my way down the road, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the black tire marks, and the broken branches and displaced gravel in the drive. The further up the drive I got the stronger the sickly sweet smell became. I knew their smell, and no matter how awful it was it couldn't have lingered this long. We tried not to come here, but every now and then a nomad would lead us in this direction, and we'd have to make sure that other vamps weren't using this place as a hideout.

I slowed my pace, and made sure to be as quiet as possible, although I knew if they were here they could hear and smell me either way. I walked around to the back of the house, noticing that almost the entire second floor and part of the first was made of glass panels. Scanning the house for any sign of Bella. I stood silent and just listened, I could hear the shower running on the second floor. I was concentrating so hard on listening to the flow of the shower that I didn't notice someone stepping up behind me.

"Man, I know you miss her, but you shouldn't do this. Not right now, at least." Startled I jerked, and let out a growl. Looking over my shoulder I noticed Embry standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

I glared at him. "And why not, Em? This is as good a time as any. I need to find out how many are here. You can smell that, can't you? I know they're here, and all the lights in the damn house are on too. They must be hunting, did anyone catch a trail while on patrol?"

"You shouldn't be here tonight, Jake. Your emotions are all over the place. I talked with Leah, and she told me what you said about CJ and what she thought about you imprinting on Bella. What are you gonna do if they are here, Jake, you could lose it and break the Treaty."

I shook my head at that, "So you think I'm going to go crazy and attack them?"

"I honestly don't know, Jake, but I sure as hell am not going to let you come even close to making a mistake. We're on their land, bro, there is nothing we can do if they actually catch us here, and we're actually breaking the Treaty just being here now."

"If they show up, Em, I'm not going to do anything to her precious leeches okay, I just need to see her." I heard him suck in a breath. Looking at him, I could see the frustration on his face.

"Jake, man, I loved Bella like a sister back then, and Angela was her best friend, but she's not good for you, Jake. Sorry, but it's true. She's only been here for a few hours that we know of, and look at what that's done to us. Your kids are upset, Sam is having a hard time controlling the pups because they think we are going to be at war soon, Leah is bitching up a storm, and I had to fight with Angela so that she wouldn't come out here with me."

The shower turning off caught my attention, and I ignored Embry and turned back toward the house. I could hear Embry shifting back and forth behind me, and then, there she was: she had opened the shower door, steam billowing out of its opening, and then she was there; Bella. Short, pale, chestnut long-haired Bella walking out of the bathroom completely naked, as she made her way across the room.

My eyes were wide as she walked, I could see her hair was wet, and so long it ended at the small of her back. The side of one of those perky beautiful breasts had a slight bounce to it as she walked. My dick twitched at the very sight of her, and I felt a rumble of satisfaction making its way through my chest. Embry coughed, snapping me out of the trance she had me in, the satisfactory rumble turned to a low growl, warning him to stop looking at her naked. His hand was on my shoulder trying to pull me back into the woods.

"Jake... C'mon. You need to get out of here, man."

I shrugged his arm off my shoulder, gaze back on Bella. "Leave. Go home." I said it as an Alpha order. Then I looked back, in shock. Embry must have been shocked, too, because he was walking backwards into the woods with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open. I shook my head and turned back around. Never had I used an Alpha order on Embry. I could feel the anger bubbling inside me now. Embry was right, she was here, and everything was going to hell. But at the same time, nothing seemed more important than her.

I watched, as Bella bent over to pick something up off the floor, the sight of her breasts dangling in the open air nipples now hard from the cool air, it all had me unconsciously reaching for my dick. Standing up I noticed that she was holding a shirt in her hands and was working sleep pants up onto her thighs. When she began to walk out of the room I slowly stalked around the house, never taking my eyes off her. I was soon met by an interior wall, and by the time I got around to the front of the house she was just pulling the hem of her shirt down over her belly button.

Just then, Bella looked out the window and frowned. I thought she had seen me until I noticed that it was pouring outside, something I had missed before. Shaking my head I saw her walk down the rest of the steps and then I lost sight of her again. I stayed in place, waiting for her to come back.

When she came back, she was carrying a bucket. I watched as she got to her knees and gathered clothes that I noticed were covered with blood, and then left again. Slowly Bella bent down, and began scrubbing the floor, and the walls, trying to erase any sight of blood. Of course, I thought, she would have to do that for the leech.

When she made it to a piece of furniture that was covered with a white cloth, I noticed that she picked something up and threw it into the bucket. Then she sat back on her knees, grabbing the cloth and started to pull. As she pulled the cloth off, a piano was revealed. I snorted; of course the pansy-ass leech would have a white piano.

Once the cover was off the piano, Bella slowly stood. She was running her hand along the wood of the piano with a smile on her face, and a growl came through my chest. The thought of her still being happy with him made a ripple of anger flow through my body. Why the hell would she be here if she and Cullen were so damn happy? I noticed now that she was making her way around the front of the piano and down to the keys. Did he teach her to play? I wondered to myself. The instant her fingers touched the keys the smile dropped from her face and I could see a frown form on her lips; just as quickly, she was leaning forward. I took a step toward the house, thinking that she was fainting, and it wasn't until then that I noticed that she had put her arm around her stomach; it was just like she did all those years ago, when he had left her.

I was clenching my toes into the mud, fists balled up, doing everything in my power not to burst into the house and comfort her. She didn't deserve it, though, even if he had left her again. She had left _me_ for _him_, and if he left _her_ again that was her problem. I wondered then, was that the reason she'd come back. Was she broken again, and needing sympathy? As her sobbing continued I noticed the sound of a truck quickly making its way up the gravel drive. I shot into the woods, waiting to see who it was. As the truck rounded the last corner I couldn't help but smile, and shake my head. Pacific Pizza, of course; at least she still ate human food. As the truck came to a stop, a teenager that looked like he could be a football player squeezed his body out of the door. Quickly walking out of the woods, I moved toward him. I wasn't going to let him see her, no one was allowed to see my mate when she was barely dressed but me. Then it hit me again, as I got closer to him: every time I thought about Bella, she wasn't just Bella, anymore, she was my mate.

As I walked up to him his eyes got wide, and his jaw began to drop. I must have been a sight: a 6'6" bare-chested man walking barefoot out of the dark woods in nothing but cut-off shorts, and in a torrential downpour no less. As I made my way up to him, I held out a wad of cash that I still had thankfully tucked in to the pocket of my jeans.

"Keep it," I said, and grabbed the box from his hands before he could object. Then I left him, turned on my heel and began walking up to the house.

I could hear the revving of the truck engine and gravel quickly crunching as he made his way back down the drive. Shit, now what was I going to do? Play delivery boy to Bella? My stomach rumbled again, and the thought of how I could just eat the food and leave crossed my mind before the thought of Bella going hungry quickly erased the thought. I took a deep breath, deciding that I had to just knock on the damn door and give her the food.

Nice, Jake. Haven't seen the girl in sixteen years and here you are delivering her pizza in the middle of a rain storm. The guys would get a kick out of this, if I couldn't block them from my thoughts. I walked up the porch steps and stood outside the door; I could still hear Bella sobbing. I hated hearing her cry, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel angry at the reason for her tears, she wouldn't be in there crying if she would have just stayed with me.

Knocking on the door much harder than I intended, I heard her sobs turn into a sniffle, and my body went rigid as her soft feet began padding closer to the door. With every step closer to the door my chest heaved and my heartbeat sped up. Finally she stopped, unlocked the door, and it began to swing open. It felt like the door opening sucked all of the air out of my lungs. Once the door was open I noticed that she had a slight smile on her face, cash in hand, mouth open to say something to whom she believed was the delivery boy. A slight chocking sound escaped instead, her words catching in her throat at the sight of me. The smile dropped from her face, to be replaced by shock and fear.

All I could do was stare into her eyes, and I felt my resolve starting to waver. I had do to something, and quick, otherwise I would give in to her, haul her against me and comfort her like she needed to be comforted so badly.

I shoved past her, snaking my foot between her and the door and kicked it closed. Rounding the corner I noticed the all-white kitchen, and disregarding where I was I walked far enough so that I was able to throw the pizza onto the counter. I just wanted to take all of my rage out on this perfect house. Maybe, if their fancy mansion wasn't here any more, they would never come back. No more kids would phase, no more vampires stalking the innocent. Would that mean no more Bella as well?

Ignoring my thoughts I turned on my heel and stalked back into the entryway. Walking up behind Bella I could see the rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed. Standing as close to her as I could get I bent down just enough to let my breath fan across her neck. Maybe if I could smell Bella, my Bella, I could calm down enough not to phase in the house of the dead. Ever so slowly Bella began to turn around, but she wasn't looking at me; I could hear slight squeaking sounds coming from her mouth. I didn't want to hear it, any of it, and especially not her voice; I knew that if I heard that voice, I would falter, give in and let her hurt me again. I couldn't let her hurt me anymore. I placed my palm over her mouth, and moved her head back so I could look at her. Her eyes were wide with shock again, and shining with unshed tears.

The touch of her cool skin, her lips on my hands sent a wave of calm to my wolf, though the human side only got angrier; I couldn't give in. "Don't you dare say a word," I ground out while moving closer to her. When I did she cast her eyes downward; looking at her more closely I could see that she was looking me over. Her eyes slowly worked their way down my body and then began to work their way back up. When she got to my stomach I was hit with the most delicious scent I never thought I would smell again; all was lost, the world around us slipped away, my anger replaced for the moment by lust and need. I relished in the fact that I still aroused her just by sight alone; I lunged at her, unable to control the man or the beast.

Replacing my hand with my lips I shoved us backward where we crashed into one of the pillars. When we did Bella gasped, and her sweet breath shot into my mouth like a bullet; she still tasted the same. I shoved my tongue into her mouth, I had to taste more of her. I couldn't stop now, this was my mate, and I had to have every part of her. The wolf in me was taking over, it needed to reconnect with her, and he needed it now.

My hands shot up to her face, holding on I told her that she didn't get to feel like that, because she had walked out on this, on me, on our love. I was pissed that she was getting what she wanted, but I couldn't stop myself; the smell of her getting aroused just from looking over my body snapped something in me and I lost all control. She shook her head yes, like she knew she didn't have the right to feel that way about me. I shoved her head back, and the words flew out of my mouth "I hate you for leaving us." The pain was evident in my voice, and I could see the pain in her eyes, too; she needed to know how pissed I was, how hurt we all were.

She began to drop her legs from my waist, and my hands shot to the back of her thighs in a panic. She wasn't going to run from me, not again. No more running, goddamn it, I wasn't going to allow it to happen. She was going to stay here and feel the pain and hurt I have been feeling in the only way I knew how to show her.

"No," I growled out, while pressing her body further into the pillar, she wasn't going to get away from me. With her body pressing into mine I could feel her wet chest, hard nipples pressing up against me. "You aren't going anywhere, you are going to stay right here and deal with the consequences of you leaving me and _my_ kids all those years ago. Do you understand that, Bella?"

I ran my nose down her throat and into the dip of her neck, the wolf screaming at me the entire time, and then it happened: without a single thought I opened my mouth, latched on to her neck, and bit down, as hard as I could. The wolf in me reveled in the satisfaction of knowing that my mark was forever going to be on her skin, even if she chose the leech again that was one thing that was never going to change. He would see proof of me being with her every day for all of eternity. She let out a cry and her body went stiff. I could taste her blood seeping into my mouth, the thought that I was no better than her leech ex-lover crossed my mind but it didn't stop me from biting down harder.

My hands began to move on to the back of her legs and up her ribs trying to comfort her in any way possible. I didn't want to hurt her, but I couldn't let go yet, it was like my jaw was locked and even I couldn't force it open. As my hands slowly made a trail up her body, the need to have my teeth buried in her neck lessened and once my hands were on her cheeks and I could feel the wetness of tears my mouth suddenly snapped open; I then licked her wound clean, like the dog that I was. I didn't even notice that during the whole ordeal her nails were digging small holes into my shoulders - at that point, I really didn't care, maybe it was her way of marking me, too, I couldn't help but think.

She unlatched her hands and began to shake and sputter. Her hands were trying to make their way to her face, I could only assume to hide. I smacked them away, I didn't want her hiding from me, I was so tired of her hiding. Crashing my lips to hers I shoved her against the pillar again. Snaking my hand down her side I gripped the flimsy material of her tank top and ripped it off her body. When her cold chest made contact with my heated one I almost lost my mind, a rumble of pleasure ripped through my chest and my hand went further down making quick work of her thin pants. Before I moved my hand away my fingers flipped the button of my cutoffs and the zipper was drug down just as quick. She moved her head to the side and I made my way back down her neck placing a soft kiss on my mark. Her body reacted the way I have been told from the other wolves and their imprints: a shaking shuddering reaction; I smiled to myself, thinking that this was right. Kissing her neck, Bella tried to speak again telling me what she needed, but this wasn't about her and her needs, this was about what I needed, what I have wanted for all of these years without her.

I crashed my lips to hers once again, effectively shutting her up, then told her that she didn't have a right to talk. Looking at her with a fierce look hoping that she would get the point, I was disappointed when she didn't. Instead she shook her head no and tried to talk again, so I slapped my hand over her mouth with a little too much force and ground out in a shout, " NO!" I pulled back from the pillar and shoved her into it again. I was in control here, not her. She needed to understand that this wasn't about her and what she wanted; it was about me and the wolf needing to claim what was rightfully ours.

My fingers were digging into her hips and back, I just wanted to touch every single part of her. I shoved her up the pillar until her breasts were in line with my mouth and took them in between my lips like a starving man. I worked each of her breasts over and over again, the feel of her pink nub in my mouth was making my dick jump and I could feel the liquid already seeping out of the tip. I had to be inside her. I wound my arms around and under hers, locking my hands on her shoulders, and without a moment of hesitation I slammed her down on to me.

I almost cried out, at the tightness of her walls, I relished the feeling of her tight wetness, my eyes nearly rolling back in to my head. She cried out and then stilled, her head dropping to my shoulder, and then she bit down almost in the same spot that I had bitten her; my muscles clenched at the feeling, and a surge of fear shot through me. I guessed I would know soon enough if there was any part of her that was vamp, because if she was I surely would be dying soon. My hips bucked forward, and then I was pounding into her. I wasn't going to last long, I knew, I didn't care; as long as my mark was on her, and my scent was on her body, nothing else mattered at this point. As I was pounding into her, her teeth sunk deeper into my skin and I slammed into her harder than before.

I could feel the burn licking its way up my balls and into my stomach, and I nuzzled my face into her neck. As gently as I could in the moment I bit my mark again, and when I did her hips jerked forward, meeting mine with enough force to send me over the edge, my seed shooting deep within her walls. My body started to shake, I was loosing it and my breath was labored. I let go of Bella, grabbing the pillar for support so I wouldn't fall over with her still clinging to me. Slowly I turned us around, our bodies still attached, and inched my way down the pillar until we were sitting on the floor.

Bella then started to slowly kiss and peck her way up and down my neck, the motion soothing me enough to make the shaking stop, but at the same time I could feel my dick start to grow again. I needed her in the worse way. I grabbed her hips and pulled her almost all the way off me and sat her back down on my lap. Slowly I started pumping back in and out of her. When she sucked my earlobe into her warm mouth, I stilled. She used to do that when we made love: she would suck on my earlobe, kiss behind my ear and then whimper out of pleasure. I couldn't give her that, not right now, I couldn't pleasure her, the beast inside of me although tamed from the romp we just had was still not satisfied.

"I can't do this, Bells." I shook my head when her legs wrapped tighter around my waist. "I still can't go slow, Bella. It's been too long and I'm so pissed at you, I just can't control myself, the anger that has been bottled up all this time is barely containable." She shook her head yes, like she wanted me to pummel her sweet little body again, and then she did something that had the anger shooting through my veins. She bit her lip; she knew what that did to me. The entire time that we were together she would bite her lip and I would nearly loose control and she knew it, I told her that she had to stop doing that because I was worried that I would get too rough with her and hurt the babies. I wouldn't let myself lose control with her, knowing that it could harm them.

_So she wants this_, I thought to myself. _Then, I guess she is going to get it_. I picked her hips up, her walls barely holding on to my tip, and I slammed her down on to me again. Her head flew back and she screamed, out of pleasure or pain I didn't know but then again I didn't care. She wanted to play dirty and use something against me, when I told her that I barely had control in the first place? This was the result of playing with the wolf. I continued to slam into her, still enjoying every inch of her tightness, and I made sure to tell her just that. I couldn't believe how tight she was, I had forgotten what it was like to sleep with someone as tiny as her. I asked her if she liked it rough, and to my surprise she told me that it was good. She was enjoying this loss of control as much as I was?

With an evil glint in my eye I stood, still inside her, and walked us over to that damn leech's piano. Maybe we would break the thing tonight. I unhooked her legs from my waist and placed her butt on the top of the piano, then I laid her back looking at her body glistening with our sweat and sex.

"He used to play you songs on this, Bella?" I asked her. She shook her head, and told me that it didn't matter and that it never would again. Oh, yeah, it mattered, alright. If this was one of the ways he got to her I was going to make him pay by taking her on it. If I couldn't harm her leech, I could surely take something important from him like he had done to me. I grabbed behind her legs, dragging her closer to me, her butt nearly hanging off the edge. "Did he play you songs on this, Bella?" I asked in a harsher tone. She shook her head yes and that was all I needed to know.

I quickly lowered my head between her legs, and my tongue swept out and touched her wet folds. Her taste had my legs shaking, my eyes rolling back, lids already closed. I had never tasted Bella before, or any woman like this for that matter; she tasted good, so good. I could taste myself on her and my dick jerked at the thought. She was mine, and no one else's. I could feel the jerking of her body as my tongue explored her folds and nub. I rubbed my finger up and down her folds shoving them inside and her body arched up off the piano and her hands were in my hair pulling my face closer to her core. So she liked this too?

I kept pumping my finger in and out of her, working my tongue along her nub. She lifted her feet and slammed them back down onto the keys, the erratic noise echoing through out the house. I could feel her wiggling around and whimpering. I smiled against her, know that she wanted more contact, but I wanted her beg. I sucked her nub into my lips and sucked hard. Her hands shot from my hair and were grabbing at the top of the piano holding on for dear life.

I separated my lips from her body and drew my finger out. I needed to be inside her again. I grabbed my shaft with her wetness still on my hand and started pumping. She was watching my movements with wide eyes, and as I took steps towards her, she hurriedly scurried back on the piano with a small smile tugging at her lips; she knew she was in for it again. I stepped on the keys myself and crawled to hover over top of her. Staring into her eyes I drew my hands around her knees and lifted her ass off the piano to meet my now throbbing dick. With one quick thrust our bodies were joined once again.

I was slamming into her again, her arms flailing out to the side trying to grab onto something, screaming at me that it felt so good and that she wanted more. When she bit her lip again I let go of one of her legs and let my fingers pinch and roll over her clit. She was shaking now, I could feel her walls slowly start to tighten. I slammed in once more but instead of pulling fast I went slow, before slamming back into her with even more force. I had to grip her legs, or her body was going to start scooting up and off the piano. I kept this up, noticing that her mouth was hanging open.

I slammed my hips into her, and ground my body into hers making sure I would make contact with her now swollen nub. I continued on until I felt her walls completely tighten and when they did I began to slam into her once more. I could have sworn at one point I heard the wood groaning under the weight of our encounter. I told her I was going to have her screaming and I damn sure wasn't going to lie about that. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, as Bella's eyes rolled back into her head and she started to shake. She was twitching all around me but I didn't stop, I just kept slamming into her and grinding my hips into hers. Then I felt my sack tighten, and I knew I was close. Her eyebrows knitted together as I kept pounding her, her arms shot around my waist and I could tell she was pushing away, but I was right there and I gripped her hips tighter and with a few more thrusts I emptied myself inside her.

She dropped her arms from my waist and the rest of her body fell back on the piano, I quickly fell on top of her, our breathing labored. I could feel her heart thudding against my chest and mine was doing the same. The longer she was pressed up against me the more I could feel her hard nipples rubbing against my own, I had to move or I would be taking her again. I rubbed my face as I left her. I was almost in a state of shock, now. I couldn't believe that I let myself lose control with her that much. With a sigh I sat down on one of the barstools placing my head in my hands; I just needed to think. My stomach of course had other plans, when the smell of our pizza washed over me. Opening the box I couldn't help but remember all the times we had had this very pizza. Shaking my head, I found myself grinning like an idiot; of course this would be me. Having uncontrollable sex on her ex-boyfriend's piano and then coming into the kitchen for a bite to eat. What the hell was going on with me today? I was acting like a raving lunatic. Mood swings and angry sex, this just wasn't like me.

Shoving the food into my mouth, I couldn't help but continue to wonder if I really was losing it. Everything I had done since I had stepped foot in this house wasn't me, maybe it was the fact that I was in their house, the wolf in me taking me over. I don't know- it just didn't make sense. But I knew one thing, I wasn't going to keep this up, because no matter how pissed I was at Bella and how hurt I was by her, this _was_ Bella. _My_ Bella, and I couldn't keep hurting her to sate my own feelings.

Looking over my shoulder at the sound of footsteps coming toward the kitchen, I watched Bella come in with the white dust cloth covering her body; I frowned inwardly. "You better get something to eat, we're not done here yet," I told her because we weren't done yet. I needed to get control of myself, to ask her all the questions that were assaulting my mind and most of all I wanted to make love to Bella, to be in total control and know what I was doing and just feel her again.

She nodded her head, and then I heard a noise outside. My eyes shot to every window in the kitchen trying to see who was outside the house. I got up, quietly making my way out of the kitchen. I took in a deep breath of air, and grumbled to myself when I smelled Paul. I walked out into the grass across the gravel and was met with his wolf form. I could tell he had a smirk on his face.

"Phase back, Paul," I said, while rolling my eyes at him.

He was wearing his shit-eating smirk when he finally stood in front of me; of course that would be his reaction. Crossing my hands over my chest I prepared myself for the shit I was sure would come flying out of his mouth. Paul had really gotten control of his temper over the years; sure he would fly off the handle every now and then, but it seems that his temper had been replaced with a more perverted side. I didn't know which was worse.

"Damn, Jakey boy! Sounded like you guys were going to tear the place apart with your piano sexcapades." I shifted my feet and widened my stance, ready to beat the shit out of him if need be.

"How long have you been here, Paul?"

"Long enough to hear you wearing her out, and trying to break Sparkly Ass's gazillion dollar piano," he said with a smirk and a slap to my shoulder.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Well, love machine, I came to tell you that we made a couple loops around the Rez and Forks and we didn't catch any scent of the leeches. But, of course by now, you know they aren't here, right? I mean, if Eddie would have heard the way you had Bella screaming in there, he surely would have come and bit your ass."

I rolled my eyes again, tightening my hands into fists against my chest.

"Seriously, dude! I could hear her scratching her nails against the keys on my way here from the Rez. I almost called home and told Rach to blare the radio so you wouldn't ruin the innocence of my boys' minds."

"Fuck off, Paul, she wasn't that loud," I sneered, my chest puffing out in pride at the same time. It was official: I was a seventeen-year-old kid again.

"Sure, sure, Jake, if you say so. Oh, hey, just wanted to let you know that Embry is totally pissed, dude. You Alpha ordered him away so you could screw the runaway?"

I growled at that, "I didn't plan this shit, Paul! Fuck. One minute I'm completely normal, and the next I'm taking her so hard I thought I was going to break her! My wolf just went crazy, man. I marked her; it didn't really even register in my mind that I was doing it, why I was doing it, until I was doing it, and look at this." I unfolded my arms, and showed him the little white marks on my forearms where her nails were digging into my skin when I bit her that first time. His eyes got wide.

"No way, dude! How is that possible? Rachel rips my back up almost everytime we have sex, and that shit goes away before I can make it out of the bedroom."

I gagged at that, I didn't need to hear that shit about my sister. "Yeah, well, she bit me, too," I said, my eyes wide.

"SHE WHAT?" he whisper yelled. I looked back toward the house and I could still see Bella through the kitchen window, she was closing the pizza box. I shook my head.

"I don't know, man, but she freaking bit me and I can still feel something there. Is there a mark?" I tilted my head to the side for him to look. His eyes got even wider and he took a step back.

"Shit, yeah, there is mark. No fucking way, Jake, how the hell did she leave a mark on you?"

"I don't know, but I know this: if she had some freaky vamp thing going on the venom would have killed me, right, but nothing happened. I didn't feel sick or weak or anything, But, Paul, I can smell something different about her, I don't know what it is, but it's just...different."

He shook his head, telling me that he didn't know. I looked back into the kitchen and noticed that Bella wasn't there anymore. I turned around, telling him that I had to go and that he needed to head back to the Rez and to tell none of the other wolves to come out this way. He cocked an eyebrow with a knowing look and with just enough timber in my voice to let him know I was serious I told him to leave.

I walked into the house and heard the shower running again. Making my way slowly up the stairs, I couldn't help looking around as I went. At the top of the stairs there was a room with a wall of empty shelves as white as the piano downstairs, and I didn't need to ask to know that it was his room. _Maybe, we could break that one in too_, I thought to myself. Before I rolled my eyes at the very thought and continued on. The next room I made my way into was an overly girly room, it had a huge ass closet in it. I made my way across the room and into the bathroom. I could see Bella's silhouette through the steamed-up glass doors.

Without alerting Bella I walked over to the shower, pulled on the door and let myself in. A slight click of the door had Bella beginning to turn around when she heard it, and then she stopped. She dropped her head back and let the water flow over her face and down her chest. I squeezed the soap into my hand and then placed my palm above her heart, causing her to jump slightly. Bringing my nose closer to her hair I held my hand there, counting every beat of her fluttering heart. It was the best thing I had ever felt. I began to clean her chest making my path bigger and bigger as I went.

I ran my hands down her ribs and over her stomach, dipping below her waist to clean her there. When I was done I almost hugged her while running my hands up and down her back and over the swell of her ass. I pulled her around so that her back was pressed into my chest and let the water wash the soap away. I then ran my hand over her body making sure that the soap was gone, making my way down her stomach I ran my finger over her folds, growling when I did so because the steam was almost making her smell concentrated. I let a rumble roll out of me when I slipped my finger into her body, she was wet again.

I wanted to take her so badly in the shower; she laid her head back against my chest and then started rubbing her slick ass into my ever-growing erection. I placed my hand on the back of her shoulder and slightly pushed forward, but I was met with her resistance. Since I'd resolved that from here on out it was going to be about Bella I didn't push further. She moved her way around, keeping her body in constant contact with mine until she was behind me.

She backed up a little bit and poured the body wash into her own hand, and started to rub me across my shoulders and around to my chest. I placed my hands on the tile in front of me, as she kept running her hands back and forth over my body. I was so relaxed that I think I caught myself purring and pushing into her touch just a little bit. Her hand slowly made its way down around me and she pumped my shaft while cleaning it. She stepped back even more and backed her way out of the shower to let me finish cleaning myself off. I ducked my head under the now cooling water, trying to regain some sort of composure. Feeling her tiny hand stroking my shaft like that made me almost come like a teenager. I smiled at myself, thinking only of Bella and how fucking embarrassing that would have been had it happened. I washed my hair and my feet- not once, during our trysts downstairs had I noticed that my feet were caked with mud. I smirked, knowing that my prints would now be all over the house.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a sheet that was on the floor around my waist. Walking out of the bathroom I noticed Bella as she was laying out a bed made of down comforters. I stood in the doorway watching her until she noticed me. She kept her eyes on my body, slowly sweeping up and down and then came to a stop right at my crotch. With her stare almost burning holes in the sheet my dick began to twitch, and I let out a chuckle to distract her from her eye fucking my crotch so my dick wouldn't rip through the flimsy ass sheet covering me.

She hung her head and then shook it, I could tell she was embarrassed and didn't want me to see the blush. I quickly made my way over to the bed, threw the sheet off and leaned up against the glass wall of the room. She looked up and noticed that I was now lying in the makeshift bed with a small corner of the top cover lying over my lap. I looked up at her with a smile and patted myself, wanting her close to me again.

She padded around to me, and once she stood in front of me she grabbed the knot in the towel, with a slight jerk it fell to the floor. I took in a ragged breath. In all the time that I have been here, I haven't really stopped to look at and pay any attention to her body. Her breasts were bigger, that was for sure, the dip into her hips was more noticeable than I would have liked, I could tell she needed to eat more as I could see most of her ribs, the swell of her hips almost took my breath away and when I saw the scar from the c-section it _did_ take my breath away. _Mine, _she was all mine - already mine, my mark had been on her all these years and she always was going to be mine - no one else could ever have her and if she ever wanted kids again they would be mine too.

I grabbed her hand, and slowly tugged her down on top of me, moving the cover in the process, her cold cheeks made contact with my thighs, and I growled at the tingling sensation as it shot straight to my sac. Once she was fully sitting on my lap I locked eyes with her, taking in the beauty of her face and chocolate eyes, her slightly pink cheeks and her ratty wet hair. I traced her face, moving small hairs out of the way as I went; I wanted to see all of her face, every inch of it. Even though I saw it in my dreams nearly every night, it was something I still missed so much.

I pushed myself off the glass, leaning forward, and I dropped a kiss on my mark. The moment my lips made contact I could feel a shiver run through her body, and a wave of her arousal hit me. I backed off, letting one of my fingers trail down between her breasts and stomach, I felt her muscles jump at the movement under my finger.

I snaked my hands between us and grabbed the tip of my dick and slowly ran it over the outside of her lips. I pressed a little harder, running it back and forth just enough to coat the tip with her wetness. She was rocking into me now, not letting me slip in but enjoying it just the same because her eyes started to cloud over and I could tell she was trying to not let them flutter closed.

"Look at me, Bells. I want to see your face when I slip into you." She nodded, biting her lip again. I had to fight to keep control; I was going to go slow this time and just love her.

I stopped moving when I was at her entrance, and slowly began to pull her down onto my shaft. The feeling of entering her this slowly was so much better than slamming in and out of her. Her head began to fall back and so I brought my hands up and laced it through her hair pulling her head toward me so that I could look into her eyes once more.

"I want to watch you while I make love to you, Bella, I don't want you to look away." She gave me a quick nod. I moved my hand down her spine and down to the swell of one of her cheeks, I moved my other hand across her hip to the other one, and with a squeeze I rolled her hips into mine and we both let out a breath at the feeling. I loosened my grip on her ass, rolling her hips back the other way so I could pull out and then I squeezed her cheeks and rolled her onto my cock again. Her hands were now on my shoulders, gripping them when I was gripping her ass, and releasing me when I did the same.

She got a look in her eye and I knew she was thinking, and then the tears slowly started to leak out of her eyes. When I saw her tears I could see the pain in her eyes, maybe she was sorry for leaving, maybe she wanted to come back but couldn't for fear of how things would end. Without realizing it I let myself cry too, cry for the loss of my time with her, for the loss of the kids' time with her, but she was back now and I would do everything in my power to make it right for them, for us. I rolled her into me once more but instead of pulling her back out I brought my arms under hers and held onto her shoulders, locking her in place. I couldn't let her go again. I needed her right here just like this, every night, tucked in close to my body. Her body, now colder than it ever had been, felt like heaven to me.

I dropped my head to her shoulder, letting the years of pain flow out of me, and then we were still. Bella threaded her hands through my hair and started to rock her own hips into mine. I could hear her whispering into my ear that she was sorry, and something else, but I could barely make it out from the sobs that were escaping me and the pants coming from Bella. Her movements were picking up and when she told me that she was close, asking me to come with her again, I ran my hands down to her cheeks as she rocked forward one last time. I pulled her into me so quick that I could feel the tip of my dick touch her very core and she clenched tight around me and came hard, so hard that the contracting of her walls was almost uncomfortable on my now spewing dick.

"I'm never letting you go again, you're never going to leave me again, I'll die if you do, Bella" I let the words flow from my lips; she had to know that was the truth. How could it not be, I would never lie to her.

She slumped forward, and I leaned further into the glass wall as she did so. I gripped the outside of her thighs and slowly rolled us onto our sides as I slipped out of her. I whined at the loss of the connection between our bodies, drawing her in as close to me as I could and dropped my forehead to hers while looking into her eyes. I could tell she was getting tired, and I was stunned when she whispered that she loved me, so much so that I could have sworn the very emotion she was feeling at the time rolled through my body. I grew stiff, at even the thought of her still loving me after all these years.

Was it true, did she still love me? Or was it something she just said out of pure exhaustion?

I couldn't stop looking at her face as the questions ran through my mind. Did she really love me? If she did, why did she leave? The more I thought about her leaving the more frustrated I felt. Frustrated with her for leaving in the first place, with myself for letting the wolf control me and sleeping with her just mere hours after she had traipsed back into my life. Thinking harder on it now, I can't believe I still hadn't talked to her about anything. Where the hell do we go from here? Does she think that we're together again, is that why she told me that she loved me? What about Cullen, what about the kids? God, I just don't know. I need to think this shit over and figure out just what the hell my next move is going to be because, sleeping with Bella didn't solve anything. If anything at all it just added more problems to the mix.

Fuck. Stupid, stupid, shit; I should have listened to Embry. Dammit. I could feel my body starting to heat up and I knew I had to get away from her, at the very least so I wouldn't wake her from the shaking my body was undergoing.

I slowly drew my arm from under her head and placed it on the pillow. I rolled onto my other side and stood up from the floor. I walked around the room and just as I was making my way to the door I could hear Bella whisper my name and then whimper. I turned to make my way back to her so she wouldn't wake up, she had rolled onto her stomach her hair fanning out on either side of her body. But what I saw then stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought the feeling of phasing would be the worst thing I had every experienced, but I was wrong, at the sight of her marred skin I felt a thousand daggers ripping their way through my veins...and shredding my heart.

**Part 2 JPOV**

**Erase My ****Scars - Evans Blue**

Eyes wide, I flew over to Bella and traced my finger down the middle of her spine. Tears stung my eyes, rage burning under my skin. There, running the entire length of her spine and almost reaching her butt, was a scar, jagged and puckered in places and I could see the tiny white dots running the length of it from what had to be stitches; I could only guess. I sucked in a breath trying to calm myself. What the hell had happened to her, where did this come from? Oh, god, was something wrong with her? I was pressing my finger harder into the scar feeling its raised texture, when Bella shifted. I jerked my hand away from her body, fearing that I was waking her up.

I lifted the covers and slid my body in right behind her. I had to make sure that was the only thing that was wrong with her. I was almost begging with myself that that had to be it, that that was the only thing that was wrong with her. I hugged her body closer to mine and shoved my face into her neck and hair. I was drawing deep breaths and smelling her scent seemed to be working to calm me down. I needed to be calm in order to do this. If I found one more spot on Bella that showed proof of any kind of pain I was surely going to lose it.

I started to pull the blanket off of her body; I had to look at her to make sure there was nothing else. Just as the blanket made its way down her body and into the dip of her stomach I noticed a tattoo on her ribs. Leaning over I almost had to squint to read it. In the dark, it was hard to read the black cursive writing. Leaning closer to her ribs I read what it said, '_When all is lost, all is left to gain_.'

I ran my fingers over each loop of each letter, sucking in a breath as I read it over and over again. Tears were now making their way down my face, and I knew that something was going on, more than the pack or myself had thought for all of these years, something was off and I had to find out just what it was.

Sitting up behind Bella and pulling the blanket completely off her body I scanned down her legs and even the bottom of her foot. I moved to the other side cradling her head in my hand I slowly pushed her so that her back was flat on the floor. I scanned every inch of the front of her body feeling relief when I didn't notice anything else on her front. I slowly turned her to the other side making sure there was nothing on her other side either.

Pushing her hair out of her face and to the side my eyes raked over her face, collarbone and her neck, I almost winced when I noticed the red dots on her neck from where CJ had his teeth in her this afternoon. I ran my fingers over them noticing then what Leah was talking about. She was right, the tiny holes in her neck were completely healed now, and only pink puckered dots and a line connecting them remained. Tears sprung at my eyes again when I saw the mark that I had made in her skin; I had yelled at CJ, nearly killed him over it, and I was no better than him.

Running my hand down her side and across her arm I smiled, as I fingered the beads of one of the bracelets that she was wearing, some of them were close to the color of my fur. I ran my hand across the beads and the bracelets rode up on her wrists. I gasped, when the pad of one of my fingers brushed against the skin there. It was freezing cold, much colder than the rest of Bella's already cold skin, so cold that I could feel the extreme temperature change from her wrist to the top of her hand. I sat up, working the bracelet further up her arm... then, I shot up off of the floor, ran out and down the stairs and out the front door. I barely made my way off of the porch when I phased. Even in wolf form I could feel my chest heaving, I was pissed and I honestly didn't know if I was going to be able to phase back at all. I could feel the burning rage pumping through every cell of my body. _He_ had bit her, and more than once.

I was pacing back and forth, snarling and snapping my teeth at the air, screaming to myself that I was going to kill every single leech I ever saw. My pack would never get a kill in again, because I would be the one doing the killing from now on. Mid circle I stopped, when I saw Bella standing in the doorway of the house. I crouched down and growled at her; How the hell could she let that leech do that to her, mark her like that? The constant growl wasn't scaring her away, though, and she was starting to make her way toward me. When I crouched down like I was going to attack her, I bared my teeth and let out a loud snarl. I didn't want her near me, knowing that she would allow him to do that to her.

Not soon after, I felt someone phase, their mental voice loud in my head, _Shit. Jake, what is going on_? I heard Embry yelling at me. I was looking at Bella, so I knew he could see her standing there in nothing but her towel, hair crazy and she was clutching the door frame for dear life. _Jake, man, what the hell happened_? _You need to talk to me, dude. Why are you snarling at Bella, are there leeches there_? _C'mon, man, you need to let me know_.

Embry was still yelling. Bella had made another step toward me, hand outstretched, and I lunged at her snapping at her hand; she couldn't be this close to me, not now.

I knew Embry could hear the rant streaming through my thoughts, yelling about how she could have let him do that to her, what the hell had she been thinking?

_Jake_? _What did she say, what did she let him do to her_? _Jake, you gotta talk to me_! He was yelling and whimpering at the same time, I could tell that he wanted to come here and figure out just what the hell was going on, but he couldn't, because my Alpha order for him to leave was still in place.

_Em. Get your ass over here, now_! I used my Alpha tone, and instantly I could feel his body surge forward making its way to me.

_Fuck, this shit is messed up, Jake. Just don't do anything to her till I get there, man. Try and calm down, think about something other than whatever it is that has you so pissed. I'm almost there, man, I just crossed the line, I'm coming through the woods, I'm gonna be there in just a second_. It was times like these that I was thankful for Embry being one of the fastest in the pack. _That's right, dude, I'm a damn speed demon. _he added smugly, in response to my last thought.I could hear his paws thudding over the ground now, and I started to calm down enough that I wasn't snarling at Bella anymore, but I was still pissed enough that I knew I wouldn't be able to phase back. My pack mate was almost here, he might be able to help.

When Embry's wolf form shot out of the woods to the side of Bella, she almost stumbled back onto her ass. I shot forward, because even in my rage I felt the need to protect her. That must have scared her because she scrambled back even more, putting her body inside the house, the door hanging open beside her.

Embry stepped up beside me, and cocked his head to the left. _Now, tell me what the hell is going on, man. I can't help you figure this shit out if I don't know what's up. Jake, your head is so messed up I can't get past your screaming_.

I looked over at him. _I need you to phase back, Em, and bring her out here to me. I'm so pissed right now that I can't do it, but I need you to get her out here, we need to talk about this_.

_Jake, man, I ran out of the house and phased without thinking, I heard you howling from inside my house, man, I don't have any clothes_.

_I could give two shits if you're naked, Em. I need you to get her and bring her out here_, I said with finality in my tone.

Embry phased back, and he started walking toward the house, grumbling under his breath that Bella was going to care when she saw his junk, and that she would probably run screaming at the size of it. I smirked to myself; right, he had some kind of imagination.

Bella's eyes did indeed get wide when she saw Embry naked as the day he was born stalking up toward the house. I could see one of his hands fly toward his crotch to cover it. "See, I told you," he said, while turning around to face me. I let out a low growl, telling him to get his ass moving.

With his hand still on his crotch, Embry made his way up the steps, and stood in front of a wide-eyed Bella. "Uh…, hey, Bells, um, long time no see?" I rolled my eyes, and let out another growl. "Alright, dude, just hold your damn horses, okay? Shit," he said, turning my way once again.

"Uh, look, Bells. Jake wants to talk to you, but he can't phase back right now. I don't know what the hell is going on with you two, but for some reason he is so pissed that he's stuck in his wolf form. You need to get down there and talk to him so I can go home and get some clothes on, okay?"

I saw her stand on her toes and look over Embry's shoulder at me, and then she dropped back down and raked her eyes over Embry's body, I let out a low snarl at that. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and I could see Embry shifting away from me at the same time.

Bella turned around, and made her way back into the house. I breathed out a puff of air wondering what the hell was she doing, and Embry got the hint and turned back around, looking at me. "I don't know, bro, should I go in there and see what the hell she's doing?" Just as I was getting ready to shake my head, Bella made her way back out of the house, and I noticed that she was wearing a thin blue tank top and jeans.

I started pacing back and forth, damn it if she needed more clothes on. Then it hit me, I guess it really didn't matter that Embry was still standing in the doorway with his hands on his junk, ass out for the world to see. Of course, for Bella, it had to be cold out here. The situation would have been almost comical, if only I was able to phase back. Bella pulled a towel from behind her back and shoved it into Embry's chest.

"Oh, thank god!" Embry said, while jerking the towel out of her hand and quickly wrapping it around his waist.

Bella still looked hesitant to come outside, so Embry grabbed her by the wrist and I saw her stiffen, then her shoulders slumped. He pulled her down the walkway and across the gravel drive so that she was standing right in front of me. Bella almost looked scared; her eyes kept darting between Embry and me.

"He won't hurt you, Bells, he's just upset and he needs for you to help him calm down. You think you can do that?"

Bella shook her head. "I don't know how, Em, how can I calm him down?" She looked back at me and I could see the worry written across her face.

"I dunno, lift your shirt up." A snarl ripped through my chest, before I let him finish what he was saying. "Dude! Chill, okay? Damn, it's not like I'm trying to get a free show here or anything. I already got that earlier tonight," he added, with a wink, and low enough so that Bella couldn't hear him. _Not helping, asshole_! I screamed inside my head.

"Look, when I get pissed or messed up about something, all Ang has to do is lift her shirt up so that I can press my face to her stomach, and it helps. And if either of you tells a soul that I said that I am kicking your asses, okay?"

I could see the corner of Bella's mouth turn up and into a slight smile. Yeah, this situation wasn't totally screwed up or anything.

"Don't snap at me, okay, Jake?" she said while pulling the hem of her shirt up and stepping towards me. When she got close enough I stretched my body out so that he tip of my nose would touch her stomach. As soon as it did, though, she flinched back, and I could see goosebumps instantly forming on her skin. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and stepped forward again, pressing her body further into my nose. I sat there and took a few deep breaths, and sure enough without a thought I was on my knees and kneeling in front of her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, and nuzzled my face into her soft stomach. She was slightly stoking my hair, when I looked up into her worried eyes. Slowly I stood, never letting my hands drop from her waist.

Embry reached his hand around the back of his neck, scratching it, as he said, "So, uh, you guys wanna tell me what is going on now, or are we just going to stand out here in the woods all night?"

"You wanna know what happened, dude?" I bit out, my anger flaring at even the mere thought of the scars I had seen on her body.

"That would be nice," was his sarcastic reply.

My hand shot out to the side, grabbing Bella's wrist and shoving her bracelet halfway up her arms. "_This_ is what the fuck happened, Em," I said while shaking her arm back and forth.

He looked down at Bella's wrist, and his eyes got wide. He took a step back, and I noticed that he too was shaking now. Bella was trying to rip her wrist out of my grasp; her mouth was pressed into a tight line, anger written blantantly across her face.

Embry took a deep breath to calm himself. Once his shaking stopped he turned to me with a look of murder in his eyes. "What in the hell is that?" He pointed at her wrist, it was covered all the way around in sliver half moons- vampire bites; there wasn't an inch of her wrist that wasn't covered with them.

"You weren't suppose to see that!" Bella bit back, and with a final jerk of her hand she was free of me. She shoved the bracelet back down on her wrist. Something must have clicked much faster for Embry, than it had for me, because he was over to her in a flash, ripping the leather cuff she had on her other wrist completely off.

"Son of a bitch," he whispered, and dropped her hand. I looked down, and I noticed that her other wrist was completely covered with silver half moons, some of them whole because there were so many. I sucked in a breath and jerked her arm back toward me.

She hung her head low, and shook it. "You weren't supposed to see those, Jake. At least… not yet." Her voice was barely above a whisper, now.

"Well, I have seen them, and now I want you to tell me what the hell is going on!" I roared. Her head shot up, and she was staring daggers into me.

"I don't have to tell you _anything_!" she ground out.

"What?" I roared. "You damn well better tell me something, Bella! I saw the one on your back, too." Her eyes got wide, and she staggered back a step.

"They're on her back, too?" Embry screamed, and he jerked Bella around so that her back was facing us. He ripped the hem of her shirt up and gasped, when he saw the scar running down her spine.

"Holy mother of fuck!" he yelled, while jerking the shirt up higher, just seeing how far the scar actually went. Before he could stop her, Bella was grabbing the shirt from his hands and ripping it back down, the slightest bit of pink flushed her chest and neck, and I could see a small vein in her neck pulsing in anger. It reminded me of like Charlie, I knew she was about to blow up, and sure enough she did.

"You weren't suppose to see those yet!" she screamed, stomping her feet and yanking herself away from Embry and from me. "What the hell gives you the right, Jake, to come over here and jerk me around like that? Why couldn't you wait! Damn it, Jacob, I was going to tell you all of this, but you just couldn't wait, it had to be now, and you aren't even giving me a chance to explain everything!" She was shaking, her chest and neck went from a slight pink flush to a full on crimson red. Now, she was pissed.

I walked over to her, her still shaking, and drug her into my chest. She fought, trying to get away, but I held her tighter; I could only imagine how she felt. Eventually, she calmed enough and I was able to lead her back into the house.

"Bella," I said, my voice soothing despite the anger I still felt. "You need to tell us what happened. Where did you get all of these scars from? What did he do to you?"

"_He_ didn't _do _anything to me, Jake, it was… It was her, it was always her. He saved me, every time." Her tone was still thick with her frustration.

I looked up at Embry over the top of her head. He held his hands wide and shook his head, he didn't have any more of a clue than I did.

"Who is she? Who did this to you, Bells, and who saved you? Was it...Cullen?" I bit the last part out, because I was sure I didn't want to know her answer.

"Edward, Jake. And yes, he saved me, Jacob. Every time, he would stop it." She looked up at me, locking our gazes, "He didn't want to do it, Jake, but he had to, he had to do it."

"What did he stop, Bells? What didn't he want to do?" I said, still in a soothing voice while stroking her hair. I had to get her to at least tell me about the bites.

She looked up at me again. "You're going to be so mad, Jake, but you have to promise me you won't hurt him if he comes back." My posture went stiff. Why would I hurt _him_ for any other reason then him hurting Bella? Better yet, why the hell would he come back? Bella must have seen my body stiffen. "Promise me, that you won't hurt him, or I won't tell you."

"Just do it, man. Apparently it can't be that bad if she's saying that he saved her," Embry whispered too low for Bella's ears to pick up.

I looked back down at her. "I promise, that I will do my best not to hurt him if he comes back, Bells." She shook her head.

"That's not good enough," she whispered. "You have to swear you won't hurt him, Jacob." God! Why the hell was she always so worried about Cullen!

"Fine, Bells, I won't hurt the bloodsucker, okay? Now will you tell me what happened?" I was getting impatient now, and with every mention of Cullen my blood was slowly starting to simmer.

Bella looked me right in the eyes, when she spoke. "He bit me."

I jumped back from her, before she could get another word out. My fists were clenched, so tight that I could feel my almost non-existent nails cutting into my skin, my teeth ground together and I was almost sure they would be dust by the end of this conversation.

"HE BIT YOU? He broke the damn Treaty, Bella! There is no way that I am not going to kill that tick for biting you!" I screamed, while pacing back and forth trying and failing to control myself.

Bella walked toward me, placing her palm against my burning chest, stopping me in my tracks. "If he wouldn't have broken the Treaty," she said, looking me dead in the eyes again, "I would be dead, right now! Jake, don't you get that? Dead!" she screamed the words at me.

"What are you talking about?" I bit out, my teeth clenched.

"SHE did this to me, Jake, over and over again, for an entire year!" She was screaming now, while grabbing her wrist frantically. "_She_ would bite my wrist, just enough to get her venom in my veins, letting it burn just to the brink of no return, and then she'd let Edward go in time so that he could save me, with the sick hope that he would drain me. He would have to bite me to suck the venom out, and he did. Every. Single. Time." She grit out the last words, her teeth also clenched together. Her tone was icy when she whispered, "Are you happy now, Jacob?"

My mouth hung wide, I was in shock. A vampire had had Bella for at least a year and had been torturing her. Biting her, not to drain her, but to cause her pain, and Cullen had been there, too. I didn't understand what part he played in all of this. Was he part of it? Bella told me that her blood sang to him, so was that a way for him to get her blood and still be the hero in her eyes? I couldn't wrap my head around any of it. Then, it dawned on me.

"Victoria." It was more of a statement than a question, and it was answered when Bella's eyes pinched closed and I could hear her heart speed up. I looked at Embry and I knew he was thinking the same thing. "Did she do that to your back, too?"

Bella stepped back from me, in stiff awkward movements. "I'm not talking about this anymore, not tonight."

I grabbed her by the arms and brought her close to me, bending over so that I was eye level with her. "Did she do that to you, Bells? You have to tell me." This time when I asked, I saw the sadness in Bella's eyes, and I knew. She started to fight, to rip her arms out of my grip, and when I could hear her heartbeat almost triple in pace I dropped my hands from her arms. Tears were shining in her eyes, but she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

"I said I am not talking about this anymore tonight! You came for answers and I gave you all that I'm willing to give you, right now. I think you should leave." Then she turned on her heel, and made her way upstairs. When we heard the soft click of the door we both let out a breath that neither of us were aware we had been holding.

"She did it, Em." He looked at me with confusion on his face.

"Who did what?"

"That vamp bitch, she did that to Bella's back, I know she did."

"You really think so, Jake?"

"Yeah, I know she did, I could see it in Bella's eyes when I asked her. We may not have seen her for sixteen years, and she's has changed a hell of a lot, but I can still tell when she is lying, and when she is trying to hide something, and she was doing both. I just don't get it, Em, why would this vamp want to torture her, why wouldn't she just kill Bella and be done with it like every other soulless bloodsucker?"

"So, what do we do now? Are you going to stay here tonight?"

"I'm not going to stay in the house with her, but I'm going to stay out and patrol around, make sure nothing happens. Did you hear her heart, I thought it was going to beat right out of her chest, I don't want her to get upset about me staying here."

"Okay, man, but what do you want me to do?"

"Head home back to the kids, Em. Can you let Ali and CJ stay with you tonight?"

"Yeah, sure thing. They were still at the house when I left, and I'm sure Ang has them eating something."

"Thanks, Em. And make sure you keep CJ and Sage in line," I added with a wink. I could hear Embry grumbling as he walked out of the house, something about damned pups and their innocent imprints.

I looked at the stairs as he left, fighting the wolf in me to go up and be with Bella. I took a step forward, before I forced myself back around and walked out of the door. Once I got across the driveway I phased and hunkered down for the night. When I was settled, I tuned my ears to the room in the back of the house. I sighed with relief, when I heard Bella's heart thumping at a slow pace. She was sleeping, and she was home. Right now, that's all I could ask for.

**Embry's POV**

I walked into the house once I got home, and I noticed that CJ was lying on his stomach on the couch, one arm and one leg laying on the floor. He smiled, and I walked over to him and nudged him awake. "CJ? Hey, wake up. If you sleep like that, kid, you're going to be stiff in the morning."

CJ rubbed his eyes and sat up, placing his elbows on his knees, he looked up at me. "Where's Dad, is he okay?"

I nodded, smiling in reassurance. "Yeah, he's okay, kid. He just has some stuff to work out." CJ took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

"He's with her, isn't he?" He was still so mad that he couldn't even say her name.

I sat down beside him and clapped him on the knee, looking into his eyes. "Yeah, he is, but you need to know, CJ, that he loves her more than you can imagine. We know what imprinting is like, but what they have is more, it always has been. Your dad has loved her more than anything, ever since he was a kid." I stood up, letting him think through things, and started to walk toward the kitchen, preventing the conversation from going any further. I was looking around, noticing that Ali wasn't in the room with her brother.

"Where's Ali?" I asked him, while I dug some food out of the refrigerator.

"Oh, she's up in Sage's room. They had a movie party before they crashed."

I chuckled, "Those girls and their movie parties," I said, laughing. "What one was it this time?"

"Eighties chick flicks, it was horrible." Both of us cringed, remembering the flashbacks of the last chick flick night.

"Well, listen, I'm going to get a shower before bed, and you should sleep too. Jake will be here sometime in the morning, and we're going have a lot to talk about."

CJ nodded, and he flopped back onto the overstuffed couch. He was snoring again before I'd even made it out of the kitchen, my sandwich hanging half out of my mouth.

Leaving CJ to sleep I made my way up to the bedroom and into the attached bathroom; I took a quick shower, being as quiet as I possibly could so as not to wake Angela. When I walked out of the bathroom, though, I noticed the room had been lit with a soft light. Looking at the bed, I saw Angela propped against the headboard; she was tiredly flipping through a cooking magazine. She placed it on the bedside table and stared at me, as he made my way toward her, my smile growing when I noticed her staring at my glistening body covered only in a low slung towel.

Smirking, I ripped the towel off when I got to the side of the bed, and I slid under the covers, smiling even wider when I noticed that Ang was only wearing one of my ratty old t-shirts from high school. I scooted close to her, lifting the hem of the shirt until it sat right beneath her breasts; I then buried my nose into the skin of her stomach, inhaling deeply. Ang's warm hand threaded into the back of my wet hair and with a sigh she started to gently stroke it.

"Is it that bad, Em?" she asked, her voice soft. "Bella, I mean?" She was trying to stifle a yawn, I could feel how tired she felt.

I turned my head to the side, keeping it against her stomach but shifting so I could talk while looking up into her eyes, "It's bad, Ang. You don't even want to know how bad it is. And we don't even know all of it yet, so I'm sure that it's only going to get worse. On top of that I'm pretty sure the Cullens are coming back, and Jake, even though he doesn't want to admit it, has already been sucked back in." I said all of that with a sad look in my eyes. Angela only stared back at me, listening. "You know, Leah thinks he imprinted on Bella, all those years ago, and that he just didn't realize it because what they had back then was stronger than the imprint." While I was talking, I watched Angela's eyes flutter, and then they closed, too heavy to hold open. I heard her steady breathing, and then she fell asleep. I dropped my head back on to her stomach, thinking about Jake, as I let sleep take me as well.

Down the hall, a young wolf lay beside her friend, on a pile of sleeping bags cluttered with popcorn and tissues, a huge smile splayed across her face at what she had just overheard. She had heard that her mother was home, and that there was a big possibility that her mother was her father's imprint after all. And maybe, just maybe, he could have a chance, at finally being truly happy.

**Well what do you think? Was it worth the wait? Jake and Embry both know a little bit about what Bella went through while she was away. In the next chapter Bella is going to face Charlie. Just want to add too that I added some pics to my photobucket for this chapter, Bella's scar among others.**


	18. Chapter 16

**A/N: I'm so happy to say that this story has gotten 200+ reviews! I am so thankful to everyone that has decided to read, review and stick with it. So I want to send a big thank you and a couple of hugs to you too. Your support is awesome!**

Chapter 16

Jake was startled out of his dreams of Bella's return by an ear-shattering scream resounding from inside the house. Before he knew it, he was bursting through the front door of the house and sprinting up the stairs. The closer he got to Bella's room the louder her screams got, he could hear the fabric rustling on the comforter bed on the floor, and then he heard a thump. Jake tore the door off its hinges in his panic to get into the room. Bella was wrapped in the sheets and flailing around, still screaming. Her legs were kicking, her arms shooting out wildly in front of her.

Jake skidded on to his knees on the floor and pinned Bella's arms between their bodies. Shushing her, he began to stroke her hair. The movement in her legs began to slow, but he could now feel her fists clinching against him; she was freezing. She was also shaking and crying, but she still wasn't fully awake.

"Bella? Bells, baby, wake up, honey. You need to wake up for me," Jake murmured into her ear while rubbing his hand up and down her back and threading his fingers through her hair.

Bella whimpered and began squirming in his embrace, pushing against his chest. Jake pulled back just enough to see that she was awake now, her eyes red and puffy, fresh tears had started streaming down her face. "Jake?" she whispered, "Is that is that you?" She didn't believe it; was it really Jake, this time, or was she going to blink her eyes and find herself in Emmett's lap once again?

"Bells, honey, its me. It's Jake. I'm here, you're home, you're in Forks. Tell me what's wrong, honey."

Bella was still staring into his face with disbelief in her eyes. She unclenched her fists and felt heat on her hands, not just heat, but soft skin. Her hands instantly started to roam his body. She could feel the plains of his abs, the V that led down his stomach, and most of all she could feel the heat of his skin. _Skin, _not a blanket covering hard stone, but soft human skin.

Bella's hands stilled as it dawned on her that yes, she was home, and Jake was the one holding her. She looked back into his eyes, seeing the look of confusion on his face.

"Oh, god, Jake, it's you. I'm home, I'm really here." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she was pressing her body harder into Jake, the heat from his body was seeping into her bones.

He tightened his grip around her and held her; rocking her back and forth as he continued to rub her back. "Bells? You're freezing, honey. Why are you so cold? C'mon, let's get you under the covers and warm you up."

"No!" Jake could feel Bella's nails dig into the skin around his ribs; her reaction took him by surprise. "I don't want covers. I want you, Jake, I need to feel you."

"Bells, you need to get under the covers, you're freezing; your skin feels like ice. Come on, honey, I won't leave you." The more Jake spoke about covering Bella up the harder her nails dug into his sides.

"Don't leave me! I need your heat, Jake, just you. Please don't put me under the covers." Bella was still clutching him to her, making it hard for him to even think about placing her in the bed without him.

"You want me to stay with you till you fall sleep, Bells? I'll get you warm, okay? I'm here, honey, I'm not going to leave 'til you're warm." Jake wanted to calm her down, then get her into the bed and get her warm; he was starting to worry about the freezing temperature of her skin, she was almost starting to feel like one of _them_.

"I don't want you to leave at all, Jake," she whispered. "Just stay with me, hold me, and make me warm." Bella didn't want the fake heat of a cover; she wanted the heat of the sun, the heat only Jake could provide.

Jake got to his knees, and slowly he began making his way to the head of the makeshift bed with Bella still attached to him. When he started to bend to place her on the bed he felt her tighten her grip on his ribs, almost flinching because her nails were about to break the skin. "Bells, you need to let me put you down so we can get under the covers." He could feel her shaking her head no.

Jake pulled her body closer to his, letting his huge hand splay across most of her lower back and slowly sunk down onto the bed. He was over the top of her body and it was awkward, because he didn't want to lay on her, but she was making it so hard for him to do anything at all. Taking one hand out from under her legs he threw the cover over the both of them. He then slowly began unlatching her fingers from his ribs; he took a breath and began stroking her back. It was then that he noticed that Bella was naked. Where were the clothes she was wearing before?

Bella could feel heat moving up across Jake's neck and over his face; she smiled to herself when she felt him shifting himself in an attempt to reposition her. She snuggled closer to his body making sure to shift her hips in the process. She knew Jake was getting aroused; even though the cold was still attacking her she now felt heat growing in the pit of her stomach. She wanted Jake's heat, she wanted all of it.

Bella slowly moved her cheek along Jake's chest making her way to his neck. Turning her head to the side she let her lips drag up his collarbone and to the juncture of his neck and shoulder. She felt him still at her movements.

"Jake...," She whispered into his skin. "Make me warm, Jake."

Jake swallowed thickly at the pitch of her voice and his dick twitched at her words. She knew what she was doing to him, but he wasn't as worried about sex as he was worried about getting her warm. Dropping his head back to the window, Jake was trying to think of the quickest way to get her warm other than sex. Did she really need that now? No, Jake knew that, but he couldn't help but think of how he would have her sweating in no time. He let his hands press harder into her back and picked up the pace hoping the friction would warm her.

"Jake," Bella drew out, in a husky tone that he had never heard from her before. "Warm me up, I'm so cold."

Laying a kiss on his neck, Bella knew his resolve was starting to crumble. She felt her heart warm because he was still stroking her back drawing her into him, anything to make her feel like he wasn't trying to take advantage of her. She started kissing his neck slowly, and when she let her tongue peek out between her lips to meet his skin, she let out a moan. She could taste the salt from his sweat, the earth and musk from his wolf. Opening her mouth she began to suck on the skin there. Pulling her arms from under his she brought them around his neck and tried to pull herself up so she could straddle him, she felt his grip on her tighten, stilling her movements. "Please, Jake."

Jake's resolve was out the window, he let his hands drop from her back, allowing her to make the shift that she wanted. With her hands still around his neck she moved one of her legs behind her body, raking it over his legs and brushing over his crotch in the process. Sucking in a breath when her leg made contact with his member, Jake was fighting again not to just take her. She settled herself, her heat right on top of his now fully erect and painfully throbbing dick. Bringing his hands back from the bed and on to her hips he wanted to keep her still. If she moved at all he didn't think he would be able to keep from attacking her body once again.

The thought was washed from his mind when Bella leaned forward so that her breasts were rubbing against his chest. He could feel her hard nipples pressing into him. She brought her lips to the bottom of his lobe; he could feel her cool breath across his neck and in his ear as she was breathing him in. "You know what's one of the first rules of survival one-oh-one, Jake?" Jake couldn't answer her, so she continued. "The first rule is to maintain core temperature, right? If the core temperature drops too low, survival is non-existent. I've been cold for so long, Jake." His eyes widened, and the grip on her hips tightened. "Warm me up, Jake," she said again, and then sucked his lobe into her mouth. "I want your heat inside me to make me warm."

Not being able to contain himself any longer, Jake lifted his hips just so, and Bella's wet lips parted, allowing Jake's tip to slide into her. She gripped his shoulders, her eyes fluttering closed, as his burning erection made its way further into her body.

* * *

As they lay there sometime later, panting into each other's skin, Bella could feel the smile on Jake's face as he slowly worked his way from her forehead down to her temple, then her ear and ever so slowly across her face until his lips met hers. He didn't have to ask for permission, Bella opened her mouth and his tongue slowly worked its way around the inside of her mouth. His heat was amazing. She thought she had loved it before, but now, in her time of need, when she was so cold, there was nothing she could imagine that would be better than this. His tongue swirled around her mouth, playing with her tongue until he pulled back and she sighed. When she looked up at him through her lashes he sighed, dropped a peck to her lips as he threw his legs over hers. She was encased by him and his heat. With another sigh they just stared at each other. She was trying to read his eyes, as he was her, it felt like she had never left. Bella saw it all, the love and the pain, the hurt and the fear. Everything Jake was feeling was staring her in the face and she knew she was going to have to tell him soon, and she wanted to, she really did, but she wanted to do it on her own terms when she was ready, not when Jake was fuming mad and standing naked in the forest.

"I promise I'll tell you soon, Jake," she said now. "I want you to know, it's just…. it's really hard for me. I'm scared you aren't going to fight when you find out everything." She was scared. Scared that if he learned about her powers, the venom still in her body, about whether or not her relationship with Thomas would make Jake decide to leave her and stop fighting his imprint. She couldn't handle it if he stopped fighting for her, because now that she was back and she had felt the warmth that she had been desperately craving all these years, she knew she could never leave his side. She would never give up on him, and it would eventually ruin her.

With a nod of his head, Jake knew, he felt the truth behind her words; he could tell that she wanted to tell him, he could see in her eyes that she did. Now that he wasn't angry and the situation wasn't as shocking as it had been last night, Jake realised that he and Embry shouldn't have pushed her the way they had earlier, and he actually thought himself lucky that she had even told them as much as she did. Bella was stronger than she knew and stubborn as hell, he knew the next time when she did tell him he was going to have to find a way to keep his anger in check. He would do it for her, anything for her.

* * *

Jake woke the next morning to the sound of overly loud and annoying ringing. Slowly, he peeled his eyes open, and he smiled at the sight before him. Bella was using one of his biceps as a pillow; she was still sleeping and she had a small smile on her face. Her hair was ratted and fanned across his arm and the bed. He could still feel one of her legs over his hip and the other was hooked into his leg near his calf. When the phone kept ringing Bella's eyebrows scrunched together, but she didn't move. "Shhh, honey, I'll get it," Jake said as be began to carefully untangle their limbs.

Scratching his head, Jake quickly and quietly made his way downstairs to the kitchen where Bella's cell phone sat on the counter. Just as he reached it, it started to slide across the countertop. He opened it and it made a beeping sound. Jake noticed there was a new text message. He hated the damn things. He had a cell phone, sure, but he didn't text. Ali and CJ both had them and had tried to pull that with him several times, but it was a rule that when they had their phones they would only talk to him. Sliding the phone all the way open Jake fumbled with the keys trying to figure out how to retrieve the message while grumbling to himself.

The shrieking and vibrating of the phone shocked him so much that he almost dropped it while jumping nearly out of his skin. Thankfully, he was able to hit a button allowing a text to pop up.

**If you don't answer this txt I am coming there now! - EC**

As Jake read the message his hands began to tremble. Of course it would be Edward- he was on the verge of cracking the phone when it vibrated again in his palm.

**Bella, I can't c u, we're worried and Emmett is freaking out - AC**

He wasn't sure which one was Emmett but Jake couldn't help but let a sigh of relief slip past his lips knowing that E. C. wasn't Edward. Scanning through the phone. Jake could see that there were two other messages in the inbox. Pushing the button he chose the first one.

**Bella u ok? Haven't seen u since yesterday, worried - AC**

**Bella Swan! - AC**

The phone buzzed again in Jake's hand.

**I'm giving you one minute to respond and I'm coming, less then an hour - EC**

Jake grumbled as his fingers plunked the keys, they were so tiny and close together! How the hell anyone could work this shit was beyond him.

**I'm fine - Bella**

Almost instantaneously the phone buzzed in his hand.

**R u sure? - EC**

**Yes - Bella**

Jake groaned as soon as he hit send. That wasn't suspicious, or anything, was it? The sound of chuckling caught him by surprise and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Turning around he saw Bella standing in the doorway to the kitchen leaning up against the frame. She had on an old t-shirt that barely met the middle of her thigh. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was laughing at him.

"You don't text, do you?" She asked, a smile evident on her face. Jake grumbled under his breath as he made his way toward her. Walking past her without even looking at her he shoved the phone into her hand and slowly began walking up the stairs. Turning on her heel Bella watching him go, a frown forming in place of the smile.

When she looked down she quickly read through the texts, stopping along the way to answer both Alice and Emmett's texts to calm them enough so either of them wouldn't come running to save her. Emmett being overprotective Emmett of course decided that that wasn't enough.

As Bella was talking to him on the phone she saw Jake walking down the steps. Her heart skipped a beat, as he slowly made his way down to her one step at a time. His bare feet, toned calves, the bulge in his pants, the V (oh, god, that V), one, two, three, and four tight rows of abs (one set on each side), his forearms, then his biceps, the toned tanned chest she was kissing just hours ago and then, finally, his face. It wasn't as sunny as it was last night, instead he was actually wearing a scowl. Bella knew that he could hear Emmett yelling at her in his attempt to get her attention, but it was so hard to pull her eyes away from the russet wall of Jake's skin. When she heard him yell that he was coming once again she turned around, effectively snapping herself out of her stupor and once again reassured Emmett that she was okay, everything was okay.

When he asked her how Charlie was she answered him honestly, and told him that she didn't know. This, in return, opened up a whole new round of questions. Tired of the twenty questions routine Bella drew in a ragged frustrated breath and told Emmett that she was going to see him today and that he needed to call her later, and that she would tell him everything then. She could hear the creaking of the wood behind her, when Emmett told her that he loved her, and then it snapped when she repeated his words.

Flipping the phone closed Bella slowly turned on her heel, looking up into Jake's eyes. They were blank; she knew he was mad, even though she couldn't see it in his eyes. His chest was heaving, his grip on the door frame growing harder by the second, the splintered wood was turning into tiny shards as dust began to settle onto the floor. Walking over to him, she reached her palm out and slowly placed it on his chest above his heart. It was thundering like mad, she could feel it through his skin, his chest was still heaving in and out, and then she leant forward and placed a kiss right in the center of his chest.

Jake melted, his hands wrapped around her body and his head dropped onto the top of her head. Three deep breaths later and his chest wasn't heaving anymore. But, when she pulled away, the blank stare was still there. "He's like a brother to me, Jake," she said in order to reassure him. He looked down at her and smiled, and though it was a smile she knew was fake and forced, it was still a smile nonetheless. He kissed the top of her forehead and began to walk away.

"I need to see the kids," he said, as he walked further away from her. "And I need to tell the pack that one of your bloodsuckers is within an hour's range, and you need to see Charlie." His head was turned so that he could see her, but he was still making his way toward the door.

"Okay. But, Jake…." her sentence was cut off when the front door clicked closed. "I love you," she whispered on a sigh to the open, empty room.

Turning around, Bella leaned against the counter and hung her head. God, why did she have to say that to Emmett? She knew why- it was just their thing. If she wouldn't Emmett would have started in again, and she didn't want them here yet. She knew deep down that they were going to come back, maybe not to take her with them, but when she had left she only had the clothes on her back and her tiny bag filled with just a few things. When she packed she took all of her medicine, but in reality there was only enough there for a week, maybe two at the most. Of course they would come back, if only to make sure she was really and truly alright. With a sigh, she pushed off the table and made her way upstairs. She had to see how her dad was, even though she knew deep down that he must be okay, Jake surely would have told her if something was wrong. She had to see for herself, though. She owed it to herself and most of all she owed it to Charlie.

* * *

Bella cringed, and drew her hoodie tighter to her body as she looked out towards the surrounding forest. The trip here had been nerve wracking. Her pants were now soaking wet and freezing cold from the rain-soaked seats in the jeep; thankfully, the smell of the blood was no longer present. When she got to the treaty line she had slammed on the brakes. Unable to force the jeep past the treaty line, Bella pulled off onto the shoulder instead, it was the same spot as yesterday, and then she sat, hesitant. Gathering her courage, she locked it up and slowly began the trek toward the Rez. When she got a few feet past the treaty line she saw movement to her right and froze. She exhaled a breath when Embry walked out of the woods, tying a pair of cut-off sweats into a knot. He nodded at her and she began walking again.

No words were said between the two as they slowly walked side by side further into the reservation. Bella was thankful that Embry was her guide, so to speak, she didn't really know if she could handle another attack like she had yesterday. The further they walked the warmer Bella felt. She wasn't sure if it was because Embry's heat was keeping her warm, or if it was the fact that the closer she got to the little red house she had once called home a soothing blanket seemed to form around her, and she actually felt safe for the first time in forever. As they made their way past the red house, Bella couldn't take her eyes off of it. In the sixteen years that she had been away it really hadn't changed much at all. The paint seemed to have been updated or at least wasn't peeling away like she thought it might have been. A tree was missing from the yard and only a stump remained.

When they got past the house, Bella's breath hitched, when the run-down garage came in to her line of sight; she felt a pang in her heart when she took in the garage's condition. While the little red house looked much the same as it once had, the garage was worse for the wear: there was a blue tarp over half of the roof, half of the tarp itself blowing away in the wind, the weeds were grown up all around the garage, and some had made their way up the exterior walls. She felt a tear slip from her eye when she caught sight of the front door. There was a chain and a padlock in place, weeds were grown up almost halfway up the doors, and the little patch of gravel was now covered in grass and branches; it looked abandoned.

Just then, a warm arm wrapped around her shoulder and with a slight tug she stumbled into Embry's side. She cast a glance in his direction. His eyes remained on the road in front of them, "He's got a garage at his place now," Embry told her. "Billy tried to get him to tear it down when he caught some kids in there drinking a couple of years back, and I put the padlock on it when I caught CJ and Sage in there a year ago." Embry all but growled out his frustration at that, his teeth clenched now.

Bella looked at him again, but this time he looked down at her, "They imprinted, you know," a smile was forming on his face. "CJ and Sage. Sage is my youngest." He still didn't look happy, despite the smile still on his face.

Bella's eyes widened, in shock. "But he's… he's so young," she stammered, unable to believe it.

"A lot of them are young, Bella. The new pups, they all phased last year, all at the same time. We've had our hands full." Bella was searching his eyes, wanting him to say it, begging him to say more with her own eyes. He squeezed her arm and released her. They were standing in front of a long narrow driveway, now, two down from Billy's and one up from Sam's and Emily's. Embry nodded his head toward the little green house barely seen amongst the trees. "This is me," he said, pointing. Bella squinted, trying to get a better look at the house, but the thick green leaves covered everything but the top of the porch and the second floor. "You'd better get to Charlie."

Bella nodded her head, while shuffling back and forth on her feet. When she looked back up, Embry was smiling again. Dragging in a deep breath she could see his pupils dilate from where she stood. Rubbing his stomach which was now growling, Embry licked his lips, "Steak and eggs... She knows what I like. Later, Bella!" Embry was now jogging down the drive toward the little green house before she could say anything.

Sucking in a breath Bella turned on her heel and slowly made her way toward Thunder Road. She had never been on the road since it was a dead end, but with all the time she had spent on the Rez with Jake she still knew where it was. Turning down the road Bella took in the houses, stretched along each side. They looked similar to both Jake's old house and what she could still see of Embry's. One or two-story homes with wood clap-board sidings, peeling paint, some with porches some without. Some kids were in their yards running around screaming, while others played 'kick the can' in their gravel driveways. It seemed as if all of them stopped what they were doing and watched as she made her way down the road. She didn't really think it was odd, though. This was a small community, and it would be off the wall to see a paleface stranger just walking down the road. When a mailbox in the shape of a fish came into her vision she laughed out loud as she shook her head. Charlie had always said he was going to get one of those mailboxes, as cheesy as is was, but she had thought he was joking or maybe he hadn't bought it because he knew it would embarrass her, she wasn't sure. Stepping up to the box Bella couldn't help but touch it, and a soft chuckle escaped her lips when she did.

When she drew her eyes away from the box movement in front of her caught her eye. Watching the front door of the house slowly open, she sucked in a breath when a very familiar figure stepped through the frame, a shy smile playing on his lips. His hair was jet black, a little longer than Jake's, and his bangs swept over to the side just so. Bella recognised him instantly, just as he recognised her, "Seth."

Bella whispered his name so low she wasn't sure he had heard her, until he a smile stretched across his face and he was launching himself over the porch railing and then running toward her, not bothering to stop. He laced his arms under hers, sweeping her backwards off her feet and then twirling them around a couple of times. When she felt his grip loosen, her grip on his neck tightened and she could feel a tear run down her cheek, and his grip on her tightened in return. They stood there for a while not talking, her feet were swinging back and forth as he held her above the ground and the tears ceased, but the smiling continued on. When Seth's grip loosened just slightly she patted his back once and he set her on his feet.

Seth's hands fell to Bella's waist and he pushed her away so that he could look at her but didn't drop his hands. Bella was looking into his eyes as he looked her over, and as he was looking at her the door to the house swung open and a beautiful looking girl stepped out onto the porch. Cocking her head to the side so she could look around him, Bella nodded in her direction, and then she saw it, a light in Seth's eyes that she had never seen before. He didn't even need to turn around for the smile on his face to grow, it was almost as large as her smile that Jake had once worn. She and Seth had grown close, when she was with Jake, how could they not? Seth had a hero-worship thing for Jake, and he was always around. In that time Bella had never seen Seth unhappy, but, at the same time, she had never seen that light in his eyes; it was almost like a twinkle.

Shoving his hands in his pockets he rocked back on his heels, then forward onto the balls of his feet, and he waggled his eyebrows at her, something that made her own smile appear as he said, "That's Kia, my imprint. She's beautiful, isn't she?" Bella didn't respond, because she was watching the girl slowly make her way down the steps behind Seth. She could clearly see Kia roll her eyes at Seth when the last words slipped from his lips, but she too was wearing a smile. Kia was taller than Bella, but not nearly as tall as Seth. She was beautiful just as Seth had said, her hair was parted right down the middle and it hung long and jet-black at her sides nearly touching her waist, blowing in the wind as she walked toward them. Bella could tell that the girl was in good shape, not overly toned, though she was small, just perfect for Seth.

When the girl walked up to Seth her hand immediately laced with one of his and, if at all possible, his smile grew larger. She could see him relaxing almost instantly, which was odd because he didn't seem tense to her at all. She offered a small wave at Bella and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Kia."

Bella offered her a smile and a wave of her own. "I'm Bella," she murmured. It was weird, and awkward, the silence was broken when Seth cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck with his free hand; he almost looked uncomfortable. Bella started to worry. Seth struggled now to assure her that nothing was wrong.

"He was sleeping when I came out," he said hurriedly. "Mom's in the house, she's just kind of waiting for you to show up. She might have some words for you, but don't let her scare you or run you off, Bella. She actually cried and yelled at Don when he called, she thought he was joking when he told her he ran into you at the house the other day. She didn't tell him you were back, we weren't sure if you were going to stay after what happened yesterday."

She pursed her lips and gave Seth a curt nod. She knew that Don was going to call, but really, deep down inside she had hoped that he wouldn't.

"Hey, don't be like that," Seth whined. "He was freaking out, too. He called and told mom that he thought he saw a ghost, but that she was driving a big car and after she introduced herself she peeled out of the driveway throwing rocks all over the front of the house. You broke the front window, by the way." Seth said, amusement in his voice.

Bella rolled her eyes while letting out a sigh of frustration. Of course she would break a window while fleeing the scene of the crime. This was Bella after all. Was it crazy that she almost felt like her old clumsy self since returning to Forks?

"Listen, Bella, we have to get out of here. The pack is going down to Third Beach for a meeting and then we're going to have a bonfire, so… maybe you can come." He quickly took Kia's hand, dragging her along before Bella could decline his offer.

Looking back at the house, Bella's heart began slamming in her chest, freezing her where she stood. At this point, she didn't know if she was more freaked out about the fact that she was this close to Charlie, after all these years, or of the fact that Seth had said that Sue had a few words for her. It was only a couple of times that Bella bore witness to Sue's temper and it was enough to scare her straight even when she wasn't the one in the wrong.

Taking a deep, calming breath, she slowly walked up the pebble path leading to the steps of the porch. When she got to the door she drew her hand back to knock and it swung open. The first thing that Bella noticed, was that Sue's eyes were red and puffy. Her cheeks were a little red, as well, she had been crying. Before Bella could panic about Charlie she was being hauled into Sue's chest and the sobbing started back up. Sue was hugging Bella so tight that it shocked her, at the same time she was running her hand through her long hair. Then she placed her hands on Bella's arms and separated them, fury was written all over her face, and Bella winced at the sight. But before she could speak, Sue was yelling at her at full force.

"Where the hell have you been, young lady? Your father has been worried to death about you! You've been gone all these years and couldn't even bother to pick up a phone and call him, let him know that you were okay, and don't get me started on your kids and Jake... You have a lot of explaining to do." Bella smiled as Sue continued to rant on, the words lost on her as she saw Sue's anger growing and the redness making its way up what little of her chest and collarbone were exposed by the muscle shirt she was wearing. She couldn't help it when the smile got bigger when she thought of Sue calling her young lady, and scolding her like a child made her laugh, even though she was thirty-five and practically as old as the woman in front of her had been when she'd left.

Bella's wondering mind was brought back to the present when Sue shook her. Locking eyes with Sue she could see that she was still angry, but her tone, while still hard, had softened just slightly as she said, "Did you hear a word that I said to you, Bella? You've had us all worried for years, and I get a call the other day from your dad's renters that you had stopped by the house, and that you were in town. I nearly cussed him out thinking for some reason he was playing a sick joke on me. Thank the spirits that Charlie was sleeping and I was the one who answered the phone. I haven't told him, you know, I've never kept a secret from him and here I am, going on two days, and you had better go in to the kitchen and wait until he wakes up, because you _are_ seeing him today." Sue made sure to put an emphasis on her words, and shook her finger at Bella while making it clear she wasn't leaving until Charlie saw her. That was Bella's plan, too, if she had to wait in the kitchen until the next morning she would; it had been far too long.

Bowing her head Bella slowly stepped over the threshold, and once inside she stopped so that Sue could close the door. Then Sue shifted her body in the direction of the kitchen and Bella made her way to a stool that was sitting under the island. Sue walked around the island and immediately began pulling food out of the fridge. As Bella sat back on the stool she watched her work, Sue gliding through the kitchen opening cabinets as she went. Bella took Sue in as she watched her. It had been so long since she had seen her. Sue had her hair in a tight bun, a few gray hairs laced through it. When she turned around, Bella looked at her features and saw that Sue looked happy overall, and that there were small creases on her face from years of smiling and a couple right by the corners of her eyes. When Sue looked up and smiled at Bella smiling back at her, Bella placed her hand on Sue's that was pushing the plated sandwich and potato salad her way, and said, "I missed you, Sue."

"Me too, honey." Bella could see the tears start forming in her eyes, before she spoke again, "You need to eat, Bella. You're thin as a rail," Sue said in a scolding manner while pushing the plate in front of her.

Bella dug into her sandwich with a vigor, groaning loudly when her tongue met Sue's magic spread. Over the years Bella's taste had grown with her cooking, but even now she couldn't figure out what was in the spread. As Bella was scraping her fork across the glass plate, finishing the last of her potato salad, she heard a door creak open and shuffling coming down the hall behind her. She froze, fork pressed hard to her plate, when she heard Charlie calling out for Sue. Bella's eyes grew wide and she made a little choking sound, her grip on the fork tightened, and then she felt Sue's warm hand on her own. Looking up from the plate she saw Sue's warm soothing eyes. "Charlie, I'm in the kitchen. You know you aren't suppose to be up and about, go back to bed. I'll bring you something to eat." Sue's voice was soft and loving as she scolded Charlie for being up, but nothing was breaking the spell that Bella was under, and when she heard the door behind her swing open she flinched. Sue grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Moving around the island, she could hear Sue make her way to the other side of the large kitchen, but before she could say anything she smelled Charlie's cologne. She took a deep breath, drawing in the smell of Old Spice. She then heard a cough and a groan, she wanted so badly to turn around and make sure that Charlie was okay, to help him into a chair, but she couldn't move. Her body was locked in place, every muscle tight with tension, her mind was screaming at her to turn around, but her body wasn't going to allow it.

"Charlie, you need to get back in bed, the doctor said you shouldn't be up and about very much, you're still healing."

"I'm fine, Sue, I've been stuck in that bed for days now, I'm about to go crazy." Bella felt the hair on her arms stand on end upon hearing her father's gruff voice. "Who's this?" he asked, aware of her now but not of who she was. "Is this one of the kids from the medical center? Have you got someone coming over to watch me while you go to the store now, Sue?" He said, while a chair continued to scrape across the wooden floor behind her.

"No, Charlie. It's…." It was now or never, Bella thought. Taking a deep breath she swiveled the stool around to face her father. His eyes were looking down, as he was seating himself in the chair, and it was almost easier to say what she needed to say, "It's me, Dad."

The second the words slipped from her mouth, Charlie's head shot up, and his gaze met hers. Then he was falling down, into the seat with a thud. The second his body made contact, Charlie leaned forward, while his left hand shot to his ribs. Sucking in deep breath after deep breath, he was groaning in pain but still trying to meet her eyes, with every intake of breath he would lean further over and Bella could see his arm tightening across his chest. Flinging herself out of the chair Bella found herself on her knees in front of Charlie, her hands were on his knees and she was rubbing her hands back and forth across them trying to calm him enough so that his breathing would get under control.

By the time Charlie was calm enough tears were streaming down Bella's cheeks, and when Charlie was able to once again bring himself upright ever so slowly she noticed that he too had tears on his cheeks. Bella couldn't tell for sure if it was the pain he was in or the fact that she was there right in front of him. Her answer came when he cupped her cheek in his hand and whispered _Bells, _a disbelieving tone in his voice.

"It's me, Daddy, I'm home." Bella had never called Charlie Daddy before. But as the word slipped out of her mouth, she was angry at herself for never having done so before now. It felt…right. She vowed right then and there to never call him Charlie again.

"Oh god, Bells, it's you, you're…. you're really here, kid?"

"I'm home, Dad. I'm so sorry I haven't been here, I'm so sorry that I didn't come back sooner. Please forgive me, Dad. I heard about you and I had to come, I had to come back and see you, make sure that you were all right, please forgive me." Bella's head was in her hands, her elbows on Charlie's knees, her face was sopping wet from the tears that were trapped there but she couldn't stop the sobs racking her body and she couldn't stop asking for his forgiveness; he had to forgive her, she wanted him to understand so badly that she was sorry and that she was stupid for not coming home sooner; she was so, so sorry.

Sue stood with her back against the counter watching the scene before her. Charlie had his hand on the back of Bella's head trying to sooth her the best he could, and Sue knew that if he didn't have a few cracked ribs he would be down on the floor holding her, letting her know what Sue had known the instant Bella turned around in her seat, that she was forgiven, whatever her reasons for staying away from Charlie, her family wouldn't not forgive her, no way no how. She was his child, and no matter the pain that she had put him through, there was no way he could hold a grudge.

When Sue heard the front door creak open, soft steps making their way down the entryway, she looked to her left and noticed that the person had stopped. Standing under the large arch in her kitchen was Jake, looking like he was fighting an inner battle with himself, his thumbs were in the pockets of his cut-off jeans and he was fisting the fabric on the outside of his shorts. He didn't have shoes or a shirt on and Sue knew that he was patrolling and that he must have heard the commotion and came here at the sound of Bella's sobs. When Jake took a step toward Bella Sue made a clicking sound with her tongue, just low enough to grab Jake's attention and still his movement once more. Jerking her head toward the hall, she watched as Jake turned and began to stride back toward the door.

Following behind him she stepped out onto the porch and softly let it click closed. Jake was leaning up against one of the pillars on the porch, looking out at the street in front of him. Sue could see the muscles in his back tighten as she walked closer to him and when she stepped beside him and shot a glance his way, she could see the muscle in his jaw twitch.

Jake wouldn't dare look at Sue, because he didn't want her to see the walls around his heart melting away; with every sob he heard from the kitchen he was fighting as hard as he could not to go back in there, scoop Bella up in his arms, and run with her, take her to his house and just hold her, tell her that everything was going to be all right and that she had nothing to worry about. But he couldn't do that, not yet. He still didn't know much about why she had stayed gone so long, and what little he did know about Bella infuriated him to the point that even thinking of it now had his teeth grinding together and his hands clenching. He had his children to protect, his tribe and pack counted on him, and Charlie- Charlie needed this time, with Bella, now more than anything, and last of all Jake had to protect himself. He knew he was giving into her, and there was nothing that would stop it, but the further he stayed away from her right now, at least until he got some answers from her, he knew the easier it would be on him if she tried to leave again. The key word being 'tried' because this time nothing or no one, the bloodsucker included, was taking his Bells away from him ever again.

Sue placed a hand on Jake's shoulder and when he looked down at her he could see the concern written across her face. He needed to calm himself enough so his anger wouldn't leak out of his voice when he spoke to her. He may be the Alpha of the pack, but Sue had become a sort of second den mother to them when Emily had gotten sick all those years ago, and even though she was better now the pack had grown so close with both Charlie and Sue that they almost felt like second parents to them all, even to Jake.

"They're okay, Sue. He's talking to her now, but she's still crying. I don't really know if she can hear what he's saying to her, I can barely hear him over her sobs." It was hard for Jake to even speak of Bella knowing that she was in pain.

Sue's jaw tightened a little, and with a curt nod of her head she put on her business face. "Seth invited her to the bonfire tonight. Do you know anything at all yet? He told me that you've been…." There was a pause, and she almost looked uncomfortable, "...um, that you've been spending time with her at the Cullen's house in Forks."

There it was, and even the inclination that Seth had been blabbing about his time with Bella nearly set Jake off. "It's none of Seth's business where I've been spending my time, Sue!" he grit out, trying his darndest not to give himself away by getting upset, but Sue wasn't phased in the least by his angry retort.

"He's part of your pack, Jake. And while you are the Alpha, it is his business- it is all of our business, really, the council included. We need to know why she left, and if she really only came back because she heard about Charlie, which brings us the question of how did she hear about him? She must have been close, it's not like a cop getting rear ended on the One-oh-One would make national headlines."

Jake's shoulders slumped, and he knew his next answer was going to hang him, but it wasn't like Sue didn't have a clue what he had been up to since Seth had already been talking about him. "I really don't know much of anything right now, Sue, and what I do know, Embry knows too. It's the reason why I called the pack meeting tonight, and the bonfire. I think it's the only way we're going to get the answers we need from her. It's too hard to do much of anything besides give in to the wolf when it's just the two of us."

Jake heard a snort. Looking over at Sue he could see her shoulders shaking. "I don't really think it's just the wolf that you are giving in to, Jake," she said while sitting down on the front step. Sitting beside her, he really couldn't believe that she had just said that to him, but this was Sue and she did tend to shock not only him but the entire pack sometimes with the things that she would say. He couldn't help agreeing with her, either.

"You're right. It's just…. It's just so hard to fight the wolf and myself at the same time, I miss her and I can't stop wanting to just touch her."

Sue nodded her head at Jacob's words, knowing that it had been hard on him all of these years and while he was close the pack, Billy and Charlie, it seemed that he was closer to her than anyone would really ever know. Jake had sought her out for advice over the years about Bella; he needed to tell someone that his feelings for her never really went away. Most of the talks took place as Jake's feelings grew for Lauren and his guilt for still wondering about Bella were in the forefront of his mind. Sue had told him that it was okay to still feel things for Bella, that she was his first love, Sue told him that even though she loved Charlie as much as she did now there would always be a place in her heart for Harry and nothing ever could take that away. When Sue felt Jake relax beside her, she looked at him for the cause, "She's stopped crying," he told her, his head cocked as he listened. "They're talking now."

Smacking Jake's bare knee Sue stood, turning to walk back into the house she noticed that Jake was still sitting on the step. She slowly pulled the front door open and as quietly as she could she walked into the kitchen. As she grabbed her purse off the counter she caught Charlie's gaze, he was relaxed now with a steaming hot cup of something in front of him, Bella was sitting in a chair almost in front of Charlie her back facing Sue, but she could tell that she was holding his hand. Sue wiggled her purse at Charlie letting him know she was going out, and Charlie twitched his lip knowing she'd understand.

When Sue came back outside Jake was once again leaning up against the pillar on the porch. She walked beside him and looked over at him, this time Jake's jaw wasn't tense and he didn't look upset, he was just looking into the forest.

"Walk with me to the store?" Sue asked, while making her way down the steps. She knew he would follow because she knew that deep down Jake knew that Charlie and Bella needed this time together, not only that but that Seth had already left to go and prepare for the bonfire and she needed someone to lug all the food home.

* * *

Back in the house, Bella sat in a chair holding Charlie's hand, she didn't feel awkward doing so and she had no plans of letting go. When she noticed that Charlie had a bead of sweat on his brow, her own scrunched together. She stood, dropped Charlie's hand and scooted her chair under the table. She could see the worry in Charlie's eyes, she knew that he was scared she was going to leave, of course she wasn't but she did want to get him back to bed.

"Dad, do you need help getting up? You should really be in bed." With a tired nod, Charlie stood, and with Bella's support he showed her to his room. Once Charlie was in bed they talked a little, mostly about him and his life so far. Bella wanted it that way, at least for now.

While they talked Bella found out that he and Sue had been married eight years ago, and that they had been living in La Push since then. When Bella asked about the accident she could see Charlie's quick flush of anger, then he went on to tell her that he had pulled a teenager over on the One-oh-One because of excessive speeding, and when he was getting out of the cruiser a passing car rear-ending it causing the car to fly sideways and trap half of him underneath it. Charlie was taken to the hospital that night, where the doctors had told him that he had some broken ribs and a slight concussion. The doctor let him go home not long after the accident knowing that Sue was a nurse at the hospital, and that he should rest and take a couple of weeks off work.

Bella could tell Charlie was getting more and more tired as he told her about the accident and in the middle of a sentence Charlie just feel asleep. As Bella was sitting in the chair by the bed she looked over Charlie. He had a few bumps on his head and there were bruises all over his arms and a few scrapes and cuts, but nothing major. The more she looked Charlie over the more she noticed that he too showed signs of age. His once brown mustache had grey hairs in it, and even his hair did too, around the temples. Charlie's face held the same laugh lines as Sue's, and that made Bella smile.

When Bella heard the screen door open and then slam closed she quickly walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. When she pushed open the swinging door from the kitchen she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes met a wall of beautiful tan muscle and she fought the urge to go over and run her hand over the hard planes of his back. He slowly turned toward her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Bells," he said with a nod. It was nothing major, but to her it was amazing to hear that name slip from his lips, to watch his lips form the words, even. It sent a flush through her and although she knew she should be embarrassed by something as trivial as Jake saying her name exciting her, she wasn't. She was almost proud when Jake took a deep breath and his eyes slowly closed, but just as quickly as her excitement came it went, and when he turned his back toward her she noticed that he was unloading groceries from the bag in his arms.

Bella knew she shouldn't be hurt by that but deep down she really was, she also knew that even though things had been happening between her and Jake it didn't erase the fact that she had been gone for so long, and it surely didn't erase the fact that she hadn't told him about her past, nor that he still hadn't brought up the news of his imprint. Bella couldn't help but wonder, then, where the girl was; why she hadn't shown up yet, and what did she look like now. Everyone that could age around her surely had began to show signs of doing so, the pack of course didn't really look much older, maybe a little harder, but not older.

Walking around the island Bella caught Sue's gaze that was flicking between her and Jake, a knowing look splayed on her face and she blushed, she wondered if Sue knew what had been going on with the two of them, and she wondered if Sue was angry at the both of them for giving into each other, after only hours of her being back. She couldn't stop the thought slipping through her mind either, that if Jake's imprint was anything like she seemed to be that day years ago, she wondered if deep down Sue was angry at her for coming back and messing things up for Jake.

"Dad's in the bedroom. He told me about the accident, but he's sleeping now," Bella said while grabbing things from one of the other bags on the counter. Making her way to the refrigerator she met Jake's gaze again. He gave her a small smile and held the door open as she placed the items inside. He was holding a head of lettuce and a bag of tomatoes in his free hand and when Bella went to grab for them her fingers made contact with his causing her to suck in a breath, and Jake to bite his lower lip and close his eyes once again. God, he was hot, it was like the second her skin touched his, the heat began to radiate off of him and onto her. It made goosebumps form under her hoodie and she smiled inside; she loved his warmth.

Just like the last time, though, the moment was over sooner than it began and once again Bella found herself frowning into the fridge. She knew then, that Jake was regretting the time they had spent together, and she couldn't help but feel the slightest tinge when she thought that Jake had cheated on his imprint with her. But, at the same time, she couldn't help herself when she thought that he was hers first, and even though she had been gone, all this time she had wanted him and he had wanted her.

When Bella turned back around Jake was sitting in the same stool that she had when she had first arrived, and he looked as though he was going to say something; her eyes quickly scanned over to Sue who was now chopping onions, with a look of ease on her face.

Jake cleared his throat and then began to speak, "Bella, Sue tells me that Seth already told you about the bonfire tonight on Third Beach," It was more of statement than a question, so Bella nodded her head. "He may have given you the option of whether or not you should come, but I'm not. You have to come, and when you're there you are going to need to tell us why you were gone so long and what happened while you were gone. I can't have anything putting my pack or my tribe in danger, so you will be there."

Before all of his words registered Jake was pushing himself out of the chair and slowly making his way down the hall and out of the house. Bella's mouth snapped closed, when she heard the front door close and the thumping of feet on the steps. Turning her head toward Sue, who was now watching her every move, she waited. Sue didn't say anything. "Did he just say _my_ pack?" she asked, surprised.

"He did," was Sue's short reply.

"So he's…," But Sue answered Bella before she could finish, "He's the Alpha, yes."

"Oh, god," Bella whispered, as her hand covered her mouth. "I thought he didn't want it."

"He didn't," It seemed Sue was good with short answers today.

"Why, then?"

Sue wiped her hands on the apron that she was wearing and placed her hands palm down onto the countertop. Pushing her weight forward Sue looked slightly annoyed when she answered, "Sometimes, Bella, people do things for the people they love, even when they really don't want to do them. He didn't want it but something happened and he took it without hesitation."

"When?"

"Oh, going on six years now. You're going to find some things out at the bonfire tonight, too, Bella, they are going to tell you things just like you are going to tell them. You owe it to them."

Bella nodded her head, and picked up the can opener to open the huge cans of beans. The food still needed to be made for the bonfire tonight, and Bella thought she might as well make herself useful while Charlie was sleeping. She didn't plan on leaving while he was sleeping for fear that it would set him into a panic. As Bella was scraping the brown sugar and onions into the beans in the crock pot a voice she missed so dearly rang throughout the house, a hint of a laugh made Bella smile and bolt out of the kitchen.

When Bella rounded the corner, almost slipping on the rug in the hallway, she came face to face with her dearest friend. "Emily!" Bella yelled when she saw her, and instantly Emily's mouth fell open and she dropped all of the bags in her hand and nearly jumped over them, her arms open as she embraced Bella.

"Bella, it's you! Oh, my god, you're back, I can't believe you're back! Does Jake know, and the pack, do they know? Oh, I missed you so much."

Bella clung to Emily, trying hard not to break down into sobs again. After the Cullens had left she and Emily had grown closer; Bella felt like Emily was a sister to her and Emily felt the same. While Bella was pregnant her and Emily were nearly inseparable, Bella was nervous of course about having kids and since Emily had already had one Bella was using her as a learning experience, but at the same time the pack had been so busy that oftentimes Bella would spend the night helping Emily with Cole when she was exhausted.

Emily stood back from Bella taking her in, then she sighed and gathered her back into her arms. Bella noticed someone standing behind Emily that she had never seen before, but something was familiar about the girl, she had long brown hair with brown eyes, and she looked younger.

The girl saw Bella looking at her and she gave Bella a shy wave. "Hi, I'm Claire," the bubbly voice said, and it was then that Bella's mouth dropped open. She dropped her arms from Emily's back, as she said, "Oh, my god, you're Claire… little Claire?" Bella couldn't believe that this was the three-year-old little girl that was so often at Emily's and that just as often had been toted around La Push by Jake's friend Quil.

Claire's nose scrunched up just slightly at being called 'Little Claire', but Bella couldn't help it- the last time she saw Claire she was wearing a princess outfit and had pigtails. "Well, yeah, I'm not little, but I am Claire. And you are?"

Bella smiled and walked around Emily to stand in front of Claire. Of course Claire wouldn't recognise her. "It's me... Bella. I'm not really sure if you would even remember me, though, it's been sixteen years. You should be what, eighteen, nineteen, by now."

Claire nodded her head, but then began fishing though her pocket when a cell phone beeped. Flipping the phone open she read whatever was on the screen and busted up laughing. When Bella looked back at Emily she was already rolling her eyes. "Quil," she and Emily said at the same time, and then they joined in laughing. It was the first time in a really long time that Bella had laughed; Claire was confused by their outburst, as she continued texting Quil.

Their laughter finally died down, and Bella bent over and helped Emily gather the food that had fallen out of the bag and they made their way into the kitchen. Sue was busy making patties out of the ground beef that she and Jake had bought earlier. Bella set to work right beside her and while Emily began working on the other side of the table.

The girls made dinner in silence, though every now and then a snicker or a burst of laughter would sound from the other side of the room where Claire was sitting glued to her phone. Other than that, it was just peaceful. Through the morning and early afternoon no one really said anything, but every now and then Bella could feel Emily's eyes on her and she knew that she was dying to ask her all the questions that everyone was wanting answers to; Bella was thankful that Emily didn't ask. She knew that she would be giving the pack answers, at the same time she would be giving them to Jake, and as much as she didn't want to answer them at all she knew, that no one deserved answers more than Jake.

After a couple of hours, Bella heard Charlie call out for Sue and when Sue looked up at his voice, she nodded for Bella to go. Walking down the hall she knocked on his door and when he grunted out she slowly made her way into the room leaving the door open. Charlie's eyes filled with tears when he saw Bella standing at the foot of his bed, when the first tear slipped down his cheek disappearing into his mustache Bella made her way around the bed and into his arms.

He was openly sobbing as he pulled Bella to sit on the bed beside him, and as he was holding onto Bella he kept repeating to her that he never thought she was coming back and that he was so glad that she did. He told her that he never stopped looking for her, and that he almost found her once. When she nodded and told him that she knew and that she was sorry, he stilled and pushed her back.

She could see the hurt and anger on Charlie's face before he clamped it down, "What do you mean you know?" It was then that Bella knew she had made a mistake, there was no way that Charlie was going to let her out of this room without answering at least these questions and she was starting to panic. Slipping her hands from his arms she knew she couldn't touch him through this, she wouldn't even dare. "Isabella Marie, what do you mean you know?"

Through everything that Bella had endured since she was taken from Jake, it actually shocked her that hearing her father speak her full name in his harsh tone made her nervous, and she stared to pick at the hole in the knee of her jeans. Looking over her shoulder she decided that she didn't want anyone to overhear their conversation, she didn't want anything getting back to Jake before she could tell him. Resigned, Bella walked across the room, and pushed on the door until it snapped closed.

As soon as it closed Bella leaned against it, not wanting to close the gap between her and her father just in case she lost the ability to control herself. Taking a deep breath, Bella knew by the look on Charlie's face that he wanted her answer and he wanted it now.

"We were living in California-" Before Bella could continue, she saw Charlie's eyes grow into slits and he pursed his lips, "Dad, you have to let me finish." Charlie gave her a curt nod and crossed his arms over his chest, wincing slightly at the pain. Bella hated when Charlie went into cop mode. "Things were bad then, Dad, I didn't want you to know how bad they were, I still don't. When Carlisle came home and told us that the detective was asking questions about me, we knew that you knew where we were, and when he came home that night I made them leave."

"That's not good enough, Bella. I need to know why you would do that, why didn't you just let me find you, why didn't you just come home if you knew that we were still looking for you?"

"I couldn't, Dad. I just… everything was so messed up, I was just so messed up that I couldn't."

"Did he leave you again, Bella? Is that why you were messed up? If he left, why didn't you just come home, Bells, why didn't you let us take care of you? Jake would have been there for you just like he was before."

"He didn't leave me, Dad. He was there for me, it's just… it's so hard to talk to you about this, I don't want you to know any of this, but I'm sure you'll find out and it hurts me to know that you will because it was so bad. I don't want to know what you, or Jake or anyone is going to think of me when you know everything."

"Bella, I already told you that there is nothing that is going to change the way I feel about you, nothing. You have to know that."

Bella looked into Charlie's eyes, silently pleading for forgiveness before she spoke, "For years, Dad, I wanted to come and see you, and then one day when I was at work a girl my age came in and told me that her father died. I knew I had to come see you." Bella could feel Charlie's eyes boring into hers; she knew he was staring at her features, looking for a lie.

"You came to see me? When, Bells?"

"I think it was eight years ago, maybe, someone told me you that were happy, but I had to see for myself, to make sure that you were okay. We got as far as Port Angeles and that's when I saw...him." Bella looked up into Charlie's questioning eyes.

"Him who, honey?"

"I was pumping gas, and he was with a girl and he was so happy and I couldn't do it to him, or to the kids, I couldn't mess his life up when I knew he had found his imp- found someone to make him happy. He was so happy, Daddy, and I just didn't want to ruin anything. I was still so messed up and I knew I couldn't come back for good."

"You mean Lauren?" Charlie asked, while looking at Bella, and his eyes widened when she nodded her head yes.

"I had Thomas follow him and when he was gone I went over to talk to her, to make sure that she made him happy but I couldn't, and then Thomas came back and told me that Jake was in a tux shop and I knew he was getting married, so we went back to the hotel and you called the next morning and it took everything I had not to rip the phone out of his hand and just tell you where I was, but I couldn't, and I'm so sorry."

Charlie was looking out the window now, working through everything that she had told him. Bella came back eight years ago, she was as close to Port Angeles and he was none the wiser, and she saw Jake and Lauren getting a tux for _his_ wedding and not Jake's, and she thought that Lauren was Jake's imprint? _Oh, god_.

"Bella, honey, you need to talk to Jake, have you talked to him since you've been back?"

Bella felt the flush roll up her chest and into her cheeks; she knew they were flaming red. Charlie's stare almost made her want to hide in the cracks of the wooden door. "I've seen him, yes," she answered guiltily, while looking down at the laces of her shoes. She felt like a teenager again, and she knew that Charlie would know without asking.

"I see," was his gruff reply.

Her head snapped up at the tone Charlie took on, and once again Bella grew defensive. "He was mine first, Dad, and I'm sorry, but I love him and I missed him so much and I didn't want to go away... He came looking for me and I couldn't…" Bella was sobbing before she finished her sentence, and she was sliding down on to the door. Sitting on the floor Bella had her head leaning on her knees, she heard the springs of the bed creaking and she knew Charlie was coming towards her. He sat in front of her and pulled her into his arms, and he began rocking her back and forth while shushing her.

* * *

Hours later, Bella was nudged awake by a small warm hand. Blinking her eyes open she noticed that the sun was beginning to set, the orange cast that was shining on the wall opposite where she lay was her first clue; the second was the warm brown eyes that met hers when she sat up straight and looked toward the source of her awakening. A small smile played on her lips, and Bella noticed that the person staring back at her didn't look much different. She still wore the same black plastic rimmed glasses and Bella could see her teeth as she smiled.

"Angie!" Bella screamed, whilst launching herself into her former best friend's arms. Both girls let out a squeal and then a laugh when Angela lost her balance and they both fell back on to the floor. Both of them were still trying to giggle amongst the gasps for air, when a very concerned looking Embry slammed the door to the bedroom open frantically searching the room until his eyes landed on his imprint, and then to Bella who froze the moment the door collided with the wall. Seeing that Angela was in fact okay Embry let go of the door, and scratched the back of his neck. The girls looked back at each other and once again burst out laughing. Rolling his eyes as he turned and walked away Embry could help but smile at the sight.

Embry walked into the kitchen and came across Charlie who had cocked his head to the side when Embry ran his hand over his now very tired looking face. "Girls," was all he muttered as he made his way out the backdoor and down toward the beach. Charlie couldn't help but chuckle at that and grab his ribs when he did; cursing as the pain shot through his ribs. He needed to get better, and soon; after all, Bella was home, and he couldn't wait to spend time with the daughter he thought he had lost all those years ago.

**I hope you liked Bella's time with Charlie, I know that she didn't tell him everything but she did let him in on her past just a little bit. The bonfire chapter is next and her past will be revealed.**


	19. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry about the short delay in getting this one out. The next chapter will be posted this weekend.**

**Chapter 17**

**Bonfire**

With every step Bella took, her knees would wobble and begin to give out. The sad thing? She wasn't even out of the house yet. While everyone had packed up all of the food and drinks in coolers, Bella had sat in Charlie and Sue's bedroom, continuously rubbing her clammy palms on the thighs of her jeans. Her body was trembling, slightly, as the minutes ticked down ever so slowly. She knew, of course, that she still had a little bit of time. The wolves wouldn't be able to stand having all the food around them without tearing into it first, and for once Bella found herself thankful for their enormous appetites.

Standing from the bed, Bella's knees buckled, and she fell back onto it. Tilting her head back, Bella squeezed her eyes shut and chastised herself: _Damn it, Bella. You need to get it together_. She knew it was going to happen; of course she knew - over the entire ride from Whitefish to Forks, she had known - but now that the moment was upon her, she truly didn't know if she was really going to be able to do it.

When Embry had left her and Angela to sit alone in the bedroom, Angela had thought that Bella might like to talk. She'd been wrong. And so Angela had told Bella about her life, instead, about how she was the owner of a bakery in Forks, and that she had began using her degree; she was also quickly becoming one of the most popular photographers in the Fork's and La Push areas. Angela loved her job more than anything; it was something that Bella loved hearing. When Embry had imprinted on her, Bella had been a little worried about whether or not Angela would continue to pursue her degree at Udub. She only finished the year, but it wasn't like she had completely given up everything to be with Embry; Bella knew, deep down, that Angela was happy.

Gripping the side of the bed after Angela left, Bella hauled herself up to her feet once more. This time, her knees didn't buckle, but she swayed back and forth a bit. She was stronger than this, she knew, she just had to get herself under control enough and just be the person she really needed to be right now. With slow and steady steps, Bella made her way through Charlie and Sue's house. All the lights were off, but the setting sun was still casting the slightest bit of orange glow to the walls. When she reached the back door, Bella jerked it open. Her breath hitched, when she saw the path into the woods at the back of the house.

She knew she shouldn't be worried, that Sue had told her that Jake and Seth were patrolling before the bonfire. But, at the same time, she knew that the path leading into the woods was also leading to her fate. Bella's feet were making their way across the lawn quicker than she had expected, although inside her, her strength was increasing. Her steps were still unsteady, and she found herself slipping and stumbling over nothing, as she went further into the woods.

Bella walked around a curve in the path and stopped in her tracks. She could see the blue and orange glow from the huge bonfire, and she could feel the moist salty sea wind wiping through her hair. She took a deep breath, and smiled at the smell of it. The beach her and Jake had spent so much time at, the beach where they had first made their relationship official, where he had joked that people were going to start thinking they were hobos with their torn-up clothes. Bella wanted so badly to move forward, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the burning fire, nor the large silhouettes moving around it; she wondered which wolves were out there now.

She felt something nudge her back, and she stumbled forward. Looking over her shoulder, she gasped. There, standing behind her, was a sandy brown wolf. It wasn't anything like the wolf that attacked her the other day, and it definitely wasn't Jake. This wolf was smaller than Jake, and much nicer than the wolf before, she noticed. When the wolf nudged her again, she shot daggers at it. "Seth!" she realised, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I'm going. Give me a minute."

Without taking his wolfy eyes off her, Seth darted into the trees right beside her. She could hear the signs of the transformation, and then Seth was walking out of the woods and buttoning the flap of his cut-off jeans. When he walked right up to her and slung his arm over her shoulder, she sighed in relief. Even thought Seth's heat wasn't quite as hot as Jake's, it still had goosebumps rising on her skin. She was starting to feel a little cold. Seth wasn't pushing now, though, he was just standing there, at the edge of the forest with her, his arm slung over her shoulders. When all activity at the bonfire stopped, Bella sucked in a ragged breath and looked up at him. Looking down into her eyes, he smiled, "Whenever you're ready, Bells. They're all waiting for you."

With a jab of her very pointed finger nail, Seth jerked to the side, though he didn't lose contact with her. "Like that's not putting on the pressure, or anything, is it, Seth."

Seth just quirked his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders, yet stood resilently by her side.

When Bella slowly took a step forward, he did the same. One by one, the fire got closer, and when she could clearly see Charlie's face, Bella stopped in her tracks. Looking up at him she knew he could see the questions in her eyes. She looked at Seth. "He knows?"

"Well," Seth shrugged. "He did marry the mother of two wolves."

"Oh, god, I don't think…. I can't do this, Seth. Really? He knows, like, everything? All of it…? Edward?"

"He knows, Bella." Seth's tone was a little harder, as was his grip on her when she began to try and shuffle her feet backwards.

"Listen," he said, now effectively halting her attempts to flee. "You had a talk with Charlie, right?" He didn't wait for conformation, he just kept going, "He didn't treat you any different, did he? He loves you, Bella, nothing would ever change that, not even Edward Cullen." The growl in Seth's voice had Bella's head snapping up. She could see Seth's eyes darting around. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay, Seth, I get it. Really, I do. But, god, how long has he known?"

A smile split across Seth's face, just as there was a roar of laughter that followed around the bonfire. Bella's gaze shot in the direction, and she saw that Jake's elbows were on his knees, his head down and shaking. He didn't seem upset, just amused about something.

"Uh, I think that's one story that Charlie or Jake is going to need to tell you." Seth admitted, also amused now. Yet another roar of laughter imploded from the around the fire, and Bella couldn't help it when she smiled; the laughter was almost infectious.

"It's going to be okay, little sis," Seth assured her. "I won't let them do anything to you, even Jake."

"Little sis?" It was Bella's turn to quirk her brow.

Seth dropped his arm from around her shoulder, and scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed now. "Uh, I mean... Yeah, you know, your dad, and my mom. I always wanted a little sister."

"I'm older than you, Seth."

"You may be older, but you are way smaller." He chuckled. "So, yeah, little sis, or little big sis. Whatever you prefer."

Bella didn't know it, at the time, but Seth was slowly gliding her closer toward the bonfire; when she felt the heat on her face she looked quickly toward the source. She was just a few feet from the entire pack now, and the bonfire itself was huge and crackling; the blue and green flames licking up the logs almost drew her into a trance, but she heard shuffling to her left and her eyes met Jake's. At a clearing of his throat, all chatter around the fire stopped, and all Bella could hear was the crashing of the waves and the continuous crackling of the fire.

Looking around, Bella only spotted one empty space, and it was next to Kia; Kia, just like the first time they'd met, gave Bella an awkward wave.

Jake stood and once again cleared his throat, and every eye that was once trained on her was now once again trained on him. The instant all eyes were locked on him, Jake seemed to grow, his chest seemed to expand, and to Bella's shock he even seemed to stand taller. She didn't think he actually had grown, but he was now standing at his full height. Jake was the Alpha, among his pack, who required their attention; he had it.

"This is what we're going to do." His voice rang loud and clear across the crackling flames. "Bella, everyone has eaten already, sorry they couldn't wait for you, but Emily saved you a plate. You need to know who's here - which members are the pack and which are imprints - and they need to know you, and so that's what we are going to do right now. You can eat while we start."

Nodding her head, Bella felt the warmth of Seth's arm disappear from her shoulder, though he was still standing beside her. He placed his hand on the small of her back. At that small gesture, Bella could have sworn she heard a low growl, and her head snapped in Jake's direction. He was wearing a mask, his expression was blank, unreadable, she wasn't really sure if it was him, or not; there really was no way to tell.

Bella let Seth lead her over toward Emily; that's when she noticed the empty space beside Kia, and she looked back at Seth. He just nodded at her and sunk down into the sand between Kia's legs. Bella took the seat on the log beside Emily. When she sat down, Emily immediately reached behind her, and she pulled out a covered plate and a warm soda.

As Bella began to unwrap her plate, the introductions began. She recognised Billy, Sue, and then there was Charlie. Sam was next, and Bella learned that he had taken Old Quil's place on the council when Old Quil had passed away years ago. Emily was next to Sam, and she smiled at Bella as Bella met her gaze. Kia piped up before Bella could clear her throat, and Seth, of course, was caught picking the food off her plate. Bella quickly shoved it in his direction, and with a nod he took it and dug in. Beside Emily sat her two boys, she introduced them as her sons, Cole and Aidan.

Jared and Kim were next, and when their kids introduced themselves, Bella could see that the girls, Dakota and Darby, looked just like Kim, while JJ looked just like Jared. Following them was Embry and Angela; Angela couldn't wipe the smile and goofy grin off her face, when she introduced herself to Bella, and when Cheyenne, their daughter, introduced herself, Bella couldn't help but think that she looked exactly like Embry. Sage then spoke up, and Bella's eyes locked with hers, taking in the very sight of her. She was beautiful, a mixture of the two, and her heart swelled a little when she remembered that Sage was her CJ's imprint; she too shot Bella a smile.

Rachel was next in line. Bella looked at her son Will, and she noticed that he looked a lot like Billy when he'd been younger. Tanner, on the other hand, was the spitting image of Paul. Paul was just walking out of the woods, when it was his turn to be introduced, and Bella's eyes widened when she saw him. As he made his way toward the fire, she noticed he was sporting a uniform - a Forks Police Department uniform, to be exact - and she knew now that it was him that Thomas had seen in the diner that day. He caught her gaze, his lip working into a sneer, as he said, "Well, hello there, Mrs. Moore. How is John?" and at his words, every eye snapped to him. He stood with his hand on his pistol, which was still clipped in place, and Bella sat gaping like an open-mouthed fish, unable to answer.

Thomas had told Bella that he had talked to an officer Meraz, and Bella wasn't sure what it was - denial, maybe? Or something else - but she really didn't think that Paul Meraz of all people would be an officer on the Forks Police Department.

"Paul!"

Taking his eyes off of Bella, Paul followed his gaze to Charlie, who was sitting in a padded, fold out chair on the other side of the fire.

"Chief." Bella could see the anger on Paul's face when he said it.

"Now's not the time, son."

"Sure thing, Chief." Paul blew out a puff of air, shot a few more daggers in Bella's direction, and that's when she noticed that all eyes were once again on her. Jake's gaze, though, seemed to be burning a hole into the side of her head. She couldn't look at him directly, but she could tell through the curtain of her hair that his fists were clenched and his teeth were grinding against the twitch of his jaw. It seemed like Paul had done his job.

Thankfully, a man that Bella had never seen before introduced himself as Colin, and his cousin Brady was next. Quil, who couldn't help but waggle his eyebrows and wink at Bella, received a punch to the ribs from little Claire; it seemed things there had never really changed. After that, she was introduced to Leah's kids, River and Tala; Tala looked every bit like her mother, Leah. When a man named Ryder introduced himself as Leah's imprint, an instant smile spilt across Bella's face, and her eyes scanned over to Leah's. Leah just let a small smile play over her lips; she gave a small nod, and then it was over.

When Bella's eyes met those of her daughter, she could feel the stinging of tears in her eyes; Ali was absolutely beautiful, and to Bella she looked like the perfect mixture of her and Jake. When she introduced herself as Sarah Allison Black, the tears broke over the dam and slid down her face. Bella couldn't take her eyes off her, and it seemed that Ali felt the same way. Her leg was bouncing up and down erratically, but when she stood and took a step toward Bella, a tan hand grabbed her, jerking her back down on the log. Bella frowned, thinking that it was Jake. When her eyes made their way up the arm and to the face, she thought she saw Jake, well, not really Jake, but Jake when he was a kid; she knew then, that this was CJ. He introduced himself quickly, and he made it a point to look directly at Jake when he said 'this is _my_ dad'.

Bella then stood up. "Um, well, most of you know me. I'm Bella…. Bella _Swan_." She put the emphasis on her last name while glaring at Paul because he knew it wasn't Moore; it never had been, and she prayed that it was enough to calm Jake so that he could at least look at her. Paul's lip lifted into a snarl, but before the sound could break through his lips, Jake called his name out in warning.

Bella's eyes snapped in his direction and she could see Jake's face was hard and angry; she wasn't sure if it was the situation itself, or the fact that Paul wouldn't shut up even for a minute.

Jake stood from the log that he was sitting on, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Bella could see the tension in his muscles; she knew he was on edge, now. Looking around the bonfire, everyone seemed to emulate him, even Billy, who had always seemed so laid back. Billy's eyes met hers, and even though they only held for a second, Bella could see the hurt in them. Billy's pain broke her heart. He had done so much for her while she was living with them, she didn't even realize that maybe she should have stopped and talked to him while walking past his house earlier; now she was kicking herself for not doing so.

"This is what we're going to do," Jake said again, while looking through the fire right at Bella, "I'm going to tell you what I want you to know about my pack, and then you're going to tell us everything," His voice was hard when he said, and emphasised, "You are not going to leave _anything_ out, and when we're done, and if I feel the need to tell you more, then I will."

Frustration and defiance rose in Bella. She knew that she had no right to feel the way she was, but she wasn't part of Jake's pack and the fact that he was ordering her around again, just like he had the night before, made her want to put the walls back into place. If he was already acting this way now, what was he going to do when he found out everything?

With a curt nod from Bella, Jake began. As he spoke of the past, Bella tore her eyes away from his to look around at the pack. She could see tears in Emily's eyes, when Jake spoke of all the help she had given him in the early months with their children, and she could see the pride in Sam's eyes knowing that his wife, his imprint had such a huge impact on her children's lives.

When Jake told Bella about Leah's roll in her children's lives she was shocked, at first. While she and Bella had grown closer before that day, Leah still had a rough edge to her, her temper was short and she wasn't afraid to unleash it on anyone, even her friends. Looking at Leah now sitting in the lap of her imprint, Bella saw an entirely different person. She saw a woman who without a doubt loved just as fiercely as she had once hated, she saw a woman who had grown up, and the constant scowl that was once on her face even in happier times was replaced with a look of peace; most of all, Bella saw a mother. Watching Leah, she could see her eyes dart back and forth over and over again to her children, silently making sure they were okay. Bella was grateful, then, for Leah.

Her eyes shifted to each couple as Jake continued telling her how each and every person around the bonfire had made such a huge impact on the lives of her children in their early years. Everyone, even Quil, had done things for her children that she was never able to do. Her heart was breaking as Jake ticked every last thing off the list - a list that ranged from changing diapers, to Quil driving him and CJ as fast as he could to Sue's house the first time that CJ had broken his arm. Bella felt the tears well up in her eyes at the very thought of one of her children being hurt in anyway.

Jake's conversation shifted from the support that he got with his children to the support that he himself received. Bella didn't think anything could be more heartbreaking that hearing about the ways that other people had cared for her children in her absence, or how other people had taken her place as a mother.

But when Jake told her of the first few days and then weeks that she had gone missing, it was almost too much. He admitted that he had said bad things about her, and hoped that bad things would happen to her. He was so angry at first that he didn't care. He didn't care that the pack still needed him because there were still vampires out there, didn't care that Billy needed his help day in and day out. All he cared about for those first few weeks was his pain. The anger that he had for her would have to be stuffed down every time he walked into that little red house, so that he wouldn't lose it when one of his kids would cry all night long... the sadness he felt, when Ali went through a stage where she only wanted one blanket in particular, when, even after months of being stuffed in a cedar chest, he told her that he would cringe as he held his daughter wrapped in that blanket, because he could still smell her strawberry scent on it.

He was telling her things that deep down she wished he wasn't. It felt like he was punishing her with his words; he wasn't doing it on purpose, but every word that slipped out of his mouth cut her to the bone. She had once thought the torture she endured from Victoria could be the worst possible thing that anyone could ever do to her, but she was proven wrong. This… this was so much worse. The pain she was feeling was so much worse than the guilt - guilt for ever even taking an interest in Edward Cullen, for staying with him once she knew that he was a vampire, knowing that she pushed her father away because he knew something was off with Edward, pining over him all of those months as Jake helped her heal. But the pain was the worst, because knowing all those months she had kept Jake at arm's length, even as her feelings were growing for him, and she had still wished every night when she silently cried herself to sleep that Edward would come back to her. She was so stupid, the day it all clicked was still at the forefront of her mind, but, in this moment, right now, she hated herself for ever making Jake wait, because she knew all along that he would love her the way she wanted to be loved. She had known, all along, that she in fact did love him, but she fought it for some dream, some stupid little teenage fantasy of never growing old, of always staying young, the dream of having a family, a real one, when in truth the family that she wanted all along was right there in front of her, alive, breathing and _real; _they were so real, but she just didn't get it at the time.

When she felt Jake's stare boring into her she turned her head, meeting his eyes. She could see the tears glistening there; it shocked her because she could still feel the Alpha timbre in his voice as he spoke, the words that would soon break her. He told her of a time when only Embry could keep him sane. The times they would walk along the beach and Jake would cry for everything that he had lost, he would cry for her. When a tear slipped down his cheek as he spoke, Bella bolted up from the log. Without looking back, she stumbled her way as fast as she could toward the woods. She couldn't bear to think of Jake crying over her, couldn't stand to hear one more story of how other people had raised her children, she lost it all and it seemed the world as she knew it in that moment was crashing down on her. It was too much to take in. She couldn't handle knowing that Jake was ever in any kind of pain because of her, she couldn't handle knowing that now, even with a life and a family of his own, that he was still affected the way he had been.

She hadn't gotten far; she could still feel the heat of the fire on her back, when a hand so hot that she could feel the heat burning through her thermal and hoodie jerked her around, her face slammed into the heaving chest and, fighting her way back, she looked up into the eyes of Paul. His eyes were brimmed in yellow; she could feel the hand that was latched onto her arm shaking. She should have been scared but she wasn't. Fury was bubbling up under her skin and she wasn't sure why but it was there, and she fought to contain it when he roared at her, "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

With a jerk of his wrist Paul was dragging her back to the fire, not caring that Jake was slowly stalking his way toward them, his eyes on one thing only; the hand that was latched around her arm. Paul stopped halfway back to the fire as Jake closed the gap. Looking down at her Bella could see his eyes, the yellow rim was getting wider and wider with each heave of his chest; she knew that he was fighting the wolf.

"You aren't going anywhere, leech lover. You don't like what you're hearing, then maybe you shouldn't have left to be with the bloodsucker so everyone else could raise your kids and pick up the broken pieces of their father."

With that, Bella's hand shot forward, and this time unlike their last confrontation, it didn't connect with his face, it latched right onto the hand that was holding her arm. Pushing the one thing she could think of toward him through her skin, she smiled, when his face dropped and a wail escaped his mouth. It was a sick pleasure but a pleasure nonetheless at seeing the huge figure now on his knees struggling to get her fingernails unlatched from his hand. It was about time someone felt her pain. She allowed only one image to play over and over in her mind.

_How do you like your meat, Edward? Filleted, like a fish, or butter-flied like a hog? _Those words; words that had sent Bella into blackness for years, all of those years and the only thing she could remember was that voice, playing in her head over and over, like a skipping record. The icy feel of her breath on her neck as those words were said, haunting her dreams for years, and even to this day would send a chill down her spine at the very feeling of something cold touching her. It was then that she mixed the pain with the image frozen into her memory of her experience with him, the pain caused by that one sharp fingernail slicing into her back not once, but twice. Over and over again she let it play, her mind intensifying the feeling of it. They thought she actually wanted to leave her children and Jake, but they were all so wrong. When she was on the brink of letting him feel in full intensity what she felt that night, the hand that was fighting hers withdrew and began scratching at his own back, his nails were ripping into the uniform shirt he was wearing, wailing out in pain as he did so.

When she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, half of the pack now wolves and slowly stalking toward them while the other half, the older half, were shaking and fighting the urge, she noticed that Jake now stood just a few feet away from Paul, his mouth open but no words escaped as he looked at Bella with fear in his eyes. When the fear registered, she snapped the connection like a worn rubber band, sending Paul's body lurching forward. He was on his hands and knees, panting, she could see the blood on his back but the marks already gone, so much different then hers; hers would never go away.

"I didn't _want_ to leave!" was all Bella could grit out, before she turned on her heel and began walking away. She took the situation too far, but the moment her anger bubbled over nothing else mattered, only the words that Paul had said to her.

As she slowly made her way up the beach she could feel the ripple of power shifting behind her, she knew the young ones were phasing back, she grit her teeth knowing that her children were among them.

"You're a freak, Swan!" was the last thing she heard, before she slipped into the blackness of the forest.

It wasn't long, before Bella found herself standing in front of a place that had been on her mind all day. Fingering the cold steel of the lock she allowed a shiver to wrack her body before she lifted the rock above her head and slammed it down, once, twice and on the third try it snapped, falling into the weeds below.

Dropping the rock she flipped the latch and slowly tugged open the door to the garage. It was pitch black and then the moon was shining through the roof just for a second before the blackness engulfed it again. The wind was whipping the tarp on the roof as Bella made her way over to the work bench. When her knee bumped into one of the steel legs she winced slightly at the pain. Her hands came up from her sides to rest on the empty top. She could smell the dust floating in the air, as her hands slowly worked their way across the top of the bench. As the dust covered her hands she could remember the times she and Jake had spent in here innocently working on the bikes and homework. Walking toward the back of the garage she never lost contact with the wood, her fingers making lines in the years old dust as she went. When her legs bumped into the old couch she wasn't really surprised that it was still there, Jake had told her once that it had been there even since he was a kid. Turning around, Bella sat on the couch, the dust flying out as she flopped back onto the cushions. She fought back the urge to sneeze, and then her head was in her hands, sobs coming from her so loud she couldn't hear the door creak open.

With each tear that leaked out of her eyes and splattered to the dirt floor the sobs grew worse. She stiffened when she felt the cushion shift under his weight; she knew it was him before she even looked in his direction.

Worry was etched across his face when she did finally look at him, and when his hand slowly moved towards her face to move the hair behind her ear she flung herself back onto the arm of the couch.

"Don't touch me!" It wasn't said out of anger, but worry, and he could hear the pleading in her voice so he let his hand drop between them.

"Bells...," the nickname sent her forward once again, clutching her middle and crying out into the dark.

"Please don't, Jake, I just… don't touch me right now, I'm not okay and I don't… I don't want you to see that."

"See what, honey?"

From deep within something rolled through her at the sound of him calling her 'honey'. That almost made everything disappear, but at the same time she fought it. He couldn't do this, "Stop that," she snapped at him, "I'm not your Bells, and I'm not your honey, Jake. Unless you didn't realize it back there, I'm not the same girl anymore."

"Then why don't you tell me who you are now, if you're not the same?"

"I will, I told you I would, but you just won't stop. Why can't I just tell you and you tell everyone else, don't you think it would be better if it was just the two of us, not making a production out of it?"

"Bells, they're my pack, they need to know what happened, why you left, we all need to know the reasons why you left and why you came back smelling like a leech. If you didn't want to leave then why did you come back smelling like them and why are you still connected to the Cullens?"

"I'm connected to them because they were the ones that were there for me, you know that, I told you and Embry what happened, why wasn't that enough? I didn't want to go away, alright? And nothing good happened to me while I was away, why isn't that good enough for you, Jake?"

"It's not good enough because I deserve more!" He didn't sound angry, just...lost. "Our kids deserve more, your father, my pack, we all deserve more!" Jake roared, while pacing in front of her. "Don't you understand? We are all willing to tell you everything you want to know, about the past, everything you missed out on when you left, but you, you're not willing to give anything. You say you love me; I heard it the other night, don't think I didn't. You say you love me, but you're not willing to give me the information I need to make any kind of decision about the future, about our future."

"I don't want to tell you, because I know that you won't fight for me anymore. Jake, if I tell you everything about me that happened and what is going on, you aren't going to feel the same, you're going to send me away, back to them, and even though the Cullens have been there for me, Jake, I don't want to go back to them, all I want to do is stay here with you, but you won't want me."

Jake stopped his pacing and stood in front of Bella. Once again, his hand shot out to her, trying in anyway to show her that no matter what he would always want her. Bella smacked his hand away from her once again. This time, the anger was getting the better of her "Damn it, I told you not to touch me right now, Jake, why won't you listen to me, why do you keep pushing?"

The last bit of his patience snapped then, he was tired of this game. "I'm pushing you because you come back out of nowhere, and no one knows why. You've been here two days, two fucking days, Bella! And no one knows anything about you, really. You gave me and Embry the slightest bit of information, last night, and then you ran away. Don't you get it, Bella? I want to know why you came back, we all do."

Bella couldn't take it. She jumped up, her words coming out in a scream. "Is that all I am to you, Jake! Just information? I'll give you your fucking information!" She began to stomp toward the door, when his hand caught her arm in the same place that Paul's had. Whipping around, she let her fingers latch into the top of his hand just like she had done Paul's, her threat was clear, and in that moment his hand gripped her forearm tighter and she noticed Jake's jaw was set, twitching in defiance. He wasn't going to back away.

With a force she didn't know she had she ripped her arm from his hold, though she couldn't hurt him, she wouldn't even dare. "I said don't touch me," she said on a whisper, as she slowly made her way out the door.

Following her, Jake wasn't sure where she was going, but he walked behind her giving her enough room to get her anger out of her system. He wasn't about to let her out of his sight, wasn't going to let her run again. When she came to the edge of the woods she stopped, turning toward him she took a steady breath.

"I want to go to the meadow," she said, her voice softer now. "Tell your pack to meet us there, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

To be honest, Bella wasn't really sure if what she was doing was the smartest idea, but she was tired, and if they really wanted to know then she would let them know everything, no more interruptions from anyone. She only hoped that what she had planned would work.

Before Bella could step further into the woods, Jake was stripping down, and with a slight shiver of his body and a shift in the air, he phased. No sooner had his front paws touched the earth, then he let an ear-splitting howl rip through the night. Nudging her with his nose she partly tripped into the cover of the forest, she shot Jake a glance and he just huffed at her, as he made his way ahead of her into the trees.

Bella didn't know how long it had been, but what she did know was that her feet were sore as was her back, she had a couple of welts on her face from the branches snapping her in the face and she moved silently behind him. As they made their way to the clearing Bella could see yet another bonfire in the middle of the clearing; the firelight allowed her to see most of it. She stood still, taking in the sight of it. The clearing wasn't much different from the last time she had been here, during the incident with Laurent. The weeds were grown over themselves, so much so that the ground wasn't flat anymore but was rolling. She could tell it was from years of growing and then folding over and growing over again.

As she walked into the clearing she could see the wolves laying in the grass, all of them and no one else was present, not the imprints, Charlie, Sue, even Billy was missing. She couldn't tell who was who, other than the ones she knew; some of the old wolves were standing near new ones. But one stood alone and in his human form. His eyes were fierce, his chest once again, heaving he was on the verge but with every puff of hair his fists clenched. Bella knew why he hadn't phased, and silently she thanked him for it. She didn't really want her kids to feel the pain that she had made Paul feel back on the beach.

As she stared at Paul across the fire she could feel _his_ presence moving up behind her. She could feel the hairs on her arms stand on end when was within reaching distance, but this time he didn't even attempt to touch her.

"You can still see things through each other's minds?" It wasn't a question, Bella knew that they could, but she wanted Jake to prepare himself for what she was about to do.

"We can."

Turning back toward Jake, she drew in a ragged breath. "After Victoria did what she did to me," Jake's growl interrupted her, and to the left the dark grey wolf whined. The other's heads snapped toward him, "because it was so often, and Edward, too, he couldn't… I have powers now, because of it."

His eyes widened, and he stepped forward before thinking better of it and stopped in his tracks. Her heart sank at the sight, was it that he was scared of her or that he didn't trust her anymore that distanced him from her now?

She could feel the tears stinging in her eyes, all she wished for now was that he would just touch her, to even make an attempt, but he stood stock still, hands limply hanging at his sides. He looked lost again.

"What kind of powers, Bella?" The confusion on his face was dispelled by the anger bubbling up inside.

"I can communicate by touch, if I will it, I can make you see and feel my emotions, my memories."

Jake took another step back from her, and Bella let the tears fall, she knew he wouldn't fight when he knew. "Paul, is that what you did to Paul?"

"The scar on my back, I made him see, let him feel how it got there."

Paul was growling behind her; looking over her shoulder, Jake's eyes met his. With quick jerk of his head, it was all the confirmation Jake needed.

"It was that bad, Bells, it hurt him that much."

"It was worse, Jake, so much worse than _that_."

Growling, Jake lunged forward, causing her to stumble back. He grabbed her arms without caring how much he might hurt her. "Show me, Bella. Show me right now."

"Phase." His head cocked to the side at her words, "I'm not going to do this again. If they can see what you are seeing, hear what you are hearing and think they are going to see it, too, then it'll be over, and there won't be any question whether it was the truth or not; I'll be an open book. They can tell their imprints, I'm not doing it. I'll tell Charlie everything, too; he's the only one that will actually listen when I talk." Her words were sharp, and direct.

Bella looked over at Paul, then she jerked her head back toward Jake. "You better get over here, too, because if it gets to be too much, you might have to break the connection. Sometimes, I can't control it."

Paul snorted, he had phased now too, and his voice was sharp. "Freak, you actually think I'm even going to come close to you after that shit? I don't think so."

"If you say so." Bella's hand shot out, and she grabbed Jake by the wrist. His eyes widened when he heard her in his mind, _Jake, it's okay, he needs to be here, someone needs to stop it if… _she was jerked back off her feet before she could finish her thought, but she smiled, knowing that Paul had actually done what she wanted him to do.

"What did you do? Jake?"

Not taking his eyes off Bella, he spoke to Paul, "She got you to come."

Paul wrung his hands in his hair, her ploy had worked; as soon as Bella's hand had connected with Jake's wrist, Paul had shot across the fire, worried that she was going to torture his Alpha just as she had him.

Paul hadn't backed away from Bella, in fact he seemed to be looming over her, and there was a hardness to his eyes. He sneered again as he said, "My kids are phased out there, and so are yours. Remember that." He let the sentence hang in the open air, a warning.

Motioning her hand toward Jake, she asked him, "Are you going to-" but with a nod of his head he was already wolf. Pieces of his cutoffs lay on the forest floor beside him. As he shifted in front of Bella she took note that the pack had risen from the ground and were now flanking Jake, the perfect V formation, and she could see every one of their wolf eyes. She knew instantly which wolves were hers; Jake, of course, standing in the front. Four back on the left was CJ, looking almost exactly like Jake, no wonder she had mistaken him for Jake the other day, no wonder she was running toward him even though he was openly warning her of an impending attack. Ali was four back on the other side, still looking like Jake, but much, much smaller. While her coloring was that of Jake's, her hair was longer and shaggier, no doubt because she still wore her hair long.

When Jake made the move toward her again, she ran her fingers through the middle of his ears and scratched there, she could see the fur on his back start to stand on end, a light rumbling in his chest, and when she looked down at him his eyes weren't angry or blank, as they had been most of the night, the wolf's eyes looked just like Jake's.

With a nod of her head she slowly worked her hands over his ears and down to either side of his muzzle, she was barely holding him when she took a deep breath and asked once again, "Jake, are you sure this is what you want, how you want to see it?"

He snorted, and the cool drops of his drool covered her face. With a glare in his direction Bella wiped her face, repositioned her hands. Taking a deep breath she began to let the memories flow, she wanted him to see and feel the happiness that she felt in the hospital the day that she woke up, she wanted him to see how proud she was of him for being the father and man that she knew he could always be.

She remembered the moment when she first saw him holding Ali, all strong and proud, just thinking about it now, seeing it in her own memories made her heart clinch. Jakes eyes were darting back and forth, taking in Bella's face while at the same she could tell he was looking to his pack.

Her heart started race as her last moments with Jake appeared. She saw him kiss her on the forehead and then each cheek before his lips finally rested on hers, he was wearing a smile when he pulled back from her, he told her then that he was pulling the car around and that he would be right back for her. Shifting through the wait Bella heard the soft click of the hospital door, it was then she felt the heat, she remembered herself smiling, allowing the feeling of overwhelming joy to fill her body, she pushed that feeling to Jake. Then she felt the warm arms wrap around her and just as she began to snuggle into the chest of the man behind her, she saw a white cloth coming toward her face, and the panic she felt zapped Jake like a jolt of electricity, he was growling just low enough for her to hear. The two wolves on either side of him were silent, but their teeth had started to arch up just enough for her to notice.

The next image was her waking up in the room in Mexico; she let them feel all of the confusion and panic that she felt. The spike of fear when she saw Victoria, and then the helplessness when Victoria stuck her with the needle that first time. When she got to the memory of Victoria telling her about the note and how they actually planned and succeeded in kidnapping Bella, a growl ripped through the air. At first she thought it was Jake, but when she knew it wasn't Jake, her head lifted from him, stopping the images. The second largest wolf in the pack, one that was jet black, was pacing back and forth and snarling. Walking away from Jake, she made her way back to the wolf, when she stopped feet from Sam he stopped and slowly lowered himself to the ground on his belly, though his eyes wouldn't leave hers. She could see the pain in his eyes as he stared at her, and Bella knew that he was blaming himself. It really wasn't his fault, but he thought that Victoria had outsmarted them all.

Bending down, she placed her hand between his ears. _Sam, _his head snapped up when her voice broke into his mind, _Sam, I know what you are doing, and it's not your fault. Victoria was evil and she was over a hundred years old, all she knew was how to elude people, that's just who she was. It wasn't your fault, Sam._

He was whimpering when Bella withdrew her hand, giving him a pat to the head, she turned around, and was shocked to see that the V formation had changed. Jake was standing right behind her now, and the wolves formed a circle around the both of them.

Bella kicked a clod of mud as she looked at Jake and she whispered 'Sorry' shyly. Placing her hands back on his muzzle, she let the images slip into her mind once again. She flipped through these ones a little faster than the others. Over and over she saw Victoria slapping her, and then Thomas putting her to sleep. When she woke and Edward was there she heard a snarl, and her hands vibrated from the bass of it. When the image of her flinging herself at Edward popped into her mind she once again whispered to Jake that she was sorry. _I just... Jake, I was so scared and I knew it wasn't him I knew he would help me somehow. _Jake's eyes weren't locked with hers anymore so she continued on, wincing at the memory of Edward kissing her, but slowing it down, pushing her emotions toward Jake when she told him how angry she was with him for leaving and just how much she had grown to love Jake. _I still do. _His eyes locked with hers once more, and the pain was evident.

Bella shifted through the memory of the next year quickly. Nothing had happened, but Victoria keeping her in that room. She stopped, taking a breath, and she looked down at Jake. _It… it's going to get hard from here. But you need to know. _She looked out at the circle of wolves before her, her eyes paused when she met Embry's. _I'm not sure if you want the younger ones to witness this. _She stood with her eyes locked with Embry's for a few minutes, until she saw him nod his head. "Are you sure this is really want you want, that you want them to see what happened? You know the result."

"The result, what result?" Paul had walked into the inner circle of wolves, and was now standing beside Bella and Jake. Pulling up the sleeve of her hoodie, Paul grabbed ahold of her wrist. He ran the pad of his thumb over the marks and she felt him shudder. Looking up at him through the curtain of his hair, she couldn't read his eyes at all, they were blank, but she could see his jaw twitching. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath,

"Jake, are you sure about this?"

The russet wolf bobbed his head up and down and huffed. Instantly the pack had thinned out, the smaller of them running into the woods, as the minutes ticked past Bella wasn't sure if she should continue or not, but then Paul looked at Jake, nodded his head, and then spoke. "Those were the kids, I'm guessing he sent them back to the rez, but you don't know those two over there," Paul said, while pointing at two wolves that looked nearly exactly alike; there were the slightest of differences. "That's Colin and Brady, they phased not long after you lef….were taken."

The wolves tightened the circle around Bella, and so she began again. She showed them that Victoria had taken Edward for weeks and when he had returned his eyes were red, in unison the wolves growled at the sight, knowing that the treaty was broken. When Edward began to tell the story of what happened Bella looked at Embry, causing his head to rise in question. She showed Edward telling her that the man he had killed was a spy, and when he told her that he had been talking to Angela in the park that day as she held her child, Embry's teeth snapped at the air and just as quickly his body turned toward the woods. Bella could see his muscles tense and then he dropped to the ground, still snarling and snapping toward Jake, his paws were digging in the dirt trying to drag himself away from the group. Breaking the connection once again Bella let herself slump to the ground, placing her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Bella took deep, soothing breaths, she was worn out, she knew, but she had to tell them.

When the snarling and growling died down Jake nudged the top of Bella's head. Looking up, she reached toward him, not bothering to stand. She let her dream of Jake filter through her mind and it bled into the day Edward was running through the woods with her as she slept. She could clearly hear the panic in his voice as he told her they were escaping, and as she got lost in the image she could feel the wind whipping through her hair as Edward ran with her. Then, like a train wreck, she could feel her body flying through the air and smashing into a tree. When she woke, Edward was being held by Riley, and then Victoria's cool lips touched her wrist and she bit down. Bella's hands dug into the fur on the side of Jake's face without notice, and then the freezing burn started licking its way down her arm and she was screaming, Edward was at her side then, and she was asking him to save her; just as quick, she was begging him not to kill her, he was taking too much.

The long images slipped into quick flashes of each bite from Victoria and each bite from Edward in return, saving her life as he did so. It was like her memory was set to fast forward, the images were coming so quick Jake wasn't sure at first if it was the same time over and over again until he thought back on what Bella had said to him and Embry the night before, '_SHE did this to me, Jake, over and over again, for an entire year!' _

This was it, Bella was showing him each and every time she was bitten even though it all looked the same to him, it wasn't. A flash of her digging a wound open and her letting Edward drink from her made him snarl once more, the agreement that soon followed didn't help matters. Everything went blank then Bella was being flung into a wall, so hard that the air was knocked out of her lungs, the impact was felt by all the wolves and Jake's struggle for breath at the force of the blow. Bella knew in the back of her mind that she was losing control but she couldn't stop it, the shock of reliving the experience, of feeling every moment of that day had her frozen, she couldn't peel her hands away from his face. At the same time she could warn Jake of what was coming, and then it was on top of her, the words that Victoria said as Edward looked on, the feel of that finger nail slicing into her skin and dragging down, only to pull out and cut deeper the next time. She could feel the blood running down her back and legs, and as plain as day she could hear Victoria's voice and that wicked laugh ringing in her ears.

Paul stood behind Bella, shocked at the sight before him, and the quiet of the night was now filled with screams coming from Bella and the wailing howls and snarling coming from the pack, all of them but Jake were on their bellies writhing in the dirt. Jake was Alpha and he was strong but Paul took note that Jake was half hovering over Bella, his own legs quivering; he was in a protective stance. When a snarl got his attention he saw that Jake's eyes were on him, his teeth bared. Lunging forward, Paul jerked Bella off of Jake and then everything but the screaming coming from Bella ceased. The wolves lay panting in the grass and Paul could see the hairs in the middle of their backs standing on end. Even though they weren't moving, their ears were pressed flat and tight to their heads.

Bella was jerked out of Paul's grasp by a very naked and shaking Jake. Snatching her up, Jake took Bella as close to the fire as he could; her skin once again felt like ice, she was still screaming and flailing about, locked in her memory. When he pressed a kiss to her temple he could feel the pulsing of her blood against his lips. His hands traced down her back and he pulled her further into his chest.

"Bells, honey, come back to me." Her screams were echoing throughout the forest. He didn't know what to do, what to think, because really, how could anyone live through _that_.

He had known all along that Bella was strong, she proved that by coming back to him. It may have taken a while, but Bella survived the loss of Edward; it stunned Jake that she could have survived _that_. He didn't think he could have survived it.

As he rocked Bella back and forth in front of the fire, he couldn't stop rubbing her arms, soothing her in anyway that he possibly could. Her screams slowly turned into sobs and then into whimpers. Jake knew that the heat from the fire and his skin was making her warm. Once she was calm, Jake saw that her eyes were still clamped closed, and he wasn't sure if she was still stuck in the memory or not, the words he was still whispering in her ear weren't gaining a reaction. He needed to know that she was out of the memory, that she wasn't still suffering. Leaning down, he softly pressed his lips to hers, even though the rest of her body was warming her lips were still ice cold, so cold that Jake flinched, it was like he was kissing marble. When his lips moved over hers, Bella's eyes snapped open and she tried to push herself away from Jake while shaking her head no.

"I lost control, didn't I? I'm so sorry, Jake, I didn't… I tried to control it but I couldn't." Her fists were balled up, not punching him, not pushing him away, but she couldn't touch him again. She was fighting as hard as she could to get out of his grip but she was sore and spent. Reliving the worst moments of her life had zapped every ounce of energy out of her body. Quickly, she slumped into his chest; her fists fell slack at his sides. Pressing her nose to his chest Bella could barely take breaths deep enough to take in his scent. Her lungs and throat hurt from screaming, but all she wanted to do was take him in, steal his warmth and feel safe. Instantly, Jake wrapped her tighter to his chest, encasing her entire upper body within his own, it was then that she noticed one of her palms splayed across his hip. Had he heard what she was thinking? Jake nodded, he had.

"Shh, honey, I know it's okay, we're all okay." Bella shifted so she could look over Jake's shoulder; the wolves minus Paul and Embry had phased back and pulled their clothes on, and were making their way toward her. Bella wouldn't let her eyes meet theirs, she didn't want to see their reactions, she didn't want to know what they thought of her, she couldn't take it.

Bella felt heat at her back and then she was being shifted around, and another bare chest met her face. Looking up into the eyes of Sam, Bella was shocked at what she saw, his face was crumpled in pain and tears were working their way out of his eyes. He buried his head in her hair, pressing his nose into her neck as a sob escaped his mouth and he hugged her tighter, whispering to her over and over again that he was sorry, that everything that had happened to her was his fault. She was in shock, she couldn't speak, and the fact that Sam was showing emotion had rocked her. Bella had never seen him this vulnerable, he was always wearing a mask that no one but Emily would ever know what he was feeling.

Bella bunched her fists again because she didn't want to let Sam see anything else. Rubbing her hands around his body she squeezed him as with as much strength as her body would allow and she began to soothe him, much the same as Jake had just done to her.

"Sam, it's not your fault, none of this is your fault, it never was."

Sam looked at Bella, and she could see the mask slowly begin to work its way up his face. "Not my fault? How could this not be my fault, Bella! It was me that didn't keep you safe, ME!"

"You kept me as safe as you could, Sam, you know that…"

"I was Alpha, Bella!" His roar had cut off her sentence. "It was my job to protect my people and to lead my wolves, and I didn't do that, she got you on my watch. She had us running around the forest like lost dogs while someone came and stole you. It shouldn't have happened, it never should have happed and it did because I wasn't a good enough Alpha!"

"But you were, Sam, you were good enough. It was me, Sam, if I would have never let myself get caught up with Edward none of this would have taken place. It was my fault that it happened, I was the one that put _you_ in danger, it was me that put the pack and myself and Charlie in danger, just me. I've come to terms with it over the years. You shouldn't blame yourself because it wasn't you."

"But, Bella-"

"No, Sam, it was me. You and I both know that my decisions are the reason for everything that happened - mine; no one is at blame here but me."

"No one but Cullen," the gruff voice behind her ground out. Bella's head whipped in the direction of the words. Embry was standing not far from the rest of the pack just pulling his shorts on.

"If he would have left you alone then none of it would have happened. Your heart would have never been broken in the first place. You would have never gotten bitten by the other vamp; the redhead never would have been after you. My wife, _my imprint, _my child would have never been in any danger if he would have left you alone. It was his fault, Bella. He knew better, but he was selfish and didn't want to give _you _up."

"But I made the decision to stay with him, even when I knew what he was, the fault is shared." Bella stated, while looking at Embry's now shaking form.

"Who gives a shit whose fault it is?" Quil shouted from across the fire. "All that matters now is that you're back, and you're okay now, right, I mean you are okay now, besides this freaky mind-fuck thing you have going on, right, Bella?"

"I'm better now, yes."

"What does that mean, you're better _now_?" Quil questioned.

"I… things were really bad after Edward killed Victoria, he…."

"He did what!" they all said in unison.

The roaring of the wolves caused her to flinch back. "He killed Victoria, he told me later after I passed out after she did that to me that something snapped. He killed her, ripped her head off, he fought Riley and then burned the house down that they were keeping us in."

"How was she keeping him there, why didn't he just fight her from the beginning and bring you back?" The question came from Leah.

"She told Edward that she had an army of vampires and that if he tried to fight her or Riley that she would kill his family, and then she would tell the people she had watching Charlie and Jake to kill them too. He didn't want to chance it, the one time Edward tried to escape, you saw, she caught him and I paid for it. He could never read her mind, she was some kind of shield, but when she bit me he saw that her plans had changed. She wasn't going to kill you or his family she was going to just torture me, it was more fun for her."

"After he killed them, where did they take you? Who took care of you?" The question came from Seth.

"Alice. She was trying to look for Edward the entire time he was gone, she could never see him, Victoria's shield kept us from her visions. The only time Alice could see Edward was when Victoria dropped her shield, and the only time Victoria dropped her shield was when she was feeding from me. She did it so she could taunt Edward. Alice told us that after Victoria was dead she saw a church that Edward had taken me to, her and Emmett were there a couple of days later and the rest of the Cullens came not long after. Thomas took care of me, as best as he could until they got there."

"Who is Thomas?" Bella gulped, she didn't know if she should tell Jake everything about Thomas right now, or not, the questions were coming almost quicker than she could answer.

"Thomas was… Thomas was the human that took me from the hospital, the one I thought was Jake. Victoria found him in Seattle, he was a med student and she blackmailed him, told him that she would kill his family if he didn't help her. So he did, but she still killed them. He was the one you saw that was taking care of me from the beginning. She tortured him, too, we didn't know about it, but I found out later. He helped Edward get me out of there."

"Why didn't you come back when you were better? Why did you stay gone for so long."

That was the one question Bella was waiting for; she didn't really know how to explain one thing without it leading into another. Bella's hand clutched Sam's forearm as she spoke, "I was out of it half the time for a long time," the images of that time fighting their way to the surface, "I didn't know where I was or what was wrong, I had nightmares every night, most of them about the things happening to me or to Jake. When I wasn't completely out of it I thought that Emmett was Jake." The disappointment in her tone was clear, shooting a glance at Jake she could see his hands wringing between his legs. "I dreamt of you every night, I always thought he was you, he's so much like you he's big and he made me feel safe, and he was warm to me. We didn't know the reason at the time, but Edward felt warm, too."

Bella felt Sam's chest vibrating against her body. When she looked down she noticed that her palm was touching his arm, jerking it back her eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Shifting off Sam's lap, Bella sat on the ground, his eyes never leaving hers.

"He let you think he was Jake... You kissed him!"

"You did what?" Jake was on his feet, his toes digging into the dirt, the veins in his arms growing with every clench of his fist.

"I thought he was you, Jake! Every night I would dream about you and they were so real, until Victoria would break in, half the time I thought she was killing you. He was there when I woke up and I _still _thought it was you, even when I was awake it was always you."

"What was wrong with you, Bella?" His voice was a broken whisper.

"Everything, Jake, everything was wrong with me. I was sick and scared and I couldn't eat, or sleep or even be awake, the scars on my wrists and back burned all the time. It was so much worse than when he left me, Jake, everything was so much worse."

Jake walked over to Bella and knelt down in front of her, "Show me, honey."

A gasp escaped her lips, her knuckles dug into her top teeth; she didn't want him to see _that_, see her at her absolute lowest. "I can't."

"Show me, Bells. Please."

Pulling her hand from her pocket, Jake slowly stretched her fingers from a fist; lacing his fingers with hers he touched his forehead to hers, "Please, Bella?"

The pleading in his voice broke Bella's resolve, and the memories flowed through her mind. Bella sitting in a rocking chair staring at the wall, screaming out in her sleep, Emmett's face changing from his own to Jake's and back again. Bella standing naked in front of a full-length mirror, taking in the sight of her body. Bella trying to scratch the scars off her wrist, breaking down at the sight of the scar on her back. Emmett holding Bella all night long in a heating blanket, Emmett holding Bella all _day_ long in the same blanket, Emmett holding Bella, Jake holding Bella, Emmett holding Bella."

Pulling her hand from Jake's, Bella covered her face and shed tears for all the times she used Emmett for the false heat that he and the blanket provided.

"I'm so sorry, honey." Bella was crashing into Jake's chest, and he gathered her up, squeezing her as tight as he could. "You should have come back to me, honey, I would have helped you again. I could have done it, Bells, you should have come back."

"But I couldn't, Jake. Do you really think that would have been the best thing? You saw, that was every night and every day for almost four years, Jake, four years!"

"But I could have helped you, Bella, it wouldn't have been that long, it only took a year when he left you, I know I could have helped you again."

"Jake, you don't get it. The kids... how could have you helped me, when you needed to take care of the kids? Would you really have wanted them to have to deal with something like that, day in and day out. It's why I made the Cullens leave California when Charlie found us that one time."

"You did what?" It was once again a collective scream from the pack.

Bella was growing tired now of the outbursts. "I did what was best for my children, Jake! I was sane enough to know then that I couldn't come back to you until I was better, until was able to actually function, and so when Charlie found the Cullens in California I made them move!"

"But I still don't understand why you wouldn't let us let me help you, Bella!"

"Because it wasn't just a mental thing, Jake! Carlisle did tests on me, and after everything, I almost had more of Victoria's and Edward's venom in my veins than my own DNA! It was taking over my body it was and _still_ is in my brain, do you really think you could have accepted me back knowing that I was practically a vampire with a beating heart? But it doesn't matter, because when I was going to come back, you had obviously moved on, and I knew you were happy and so I left again. I did that for you!"

Jake's jaw had popped open in shock, and his anger flared again. "You came back? When! When did you come back, I never saw you." Whipping around, Jake looked at each and every member of the pack, his body bristling now. "Who saw her?" he screamed, his voice vibrating along with his body. His eyes settled on Paul. Jake dumped Bella on the ground and marched over to him, bumping his chest, "You knew she was back, and you didn't tell me! When!" He roared.

"I didn't _know _she was back, well, I didn't know it was her until Charlie confirmed it today, when I talked to him before the bonfire."

"What are you talking about?" Jake's anger was once again battling his confusion.

"I told you," Paul replied, "before Charlie's wedding, that someone had come round asking about Charlie with a lame story about Renee and a fishing hole. That I thought the scent was similar, but off at the same time. It seems Bella was with a John Moore when she came to town, seems she may have moved on, too."

"I didn't move on!" Bella grit out. "That was Thomas! I came back because when I was actually better I got a job at a bakery and a girl my age came in and told us that her dad had died, and that she was making funeral arrangements, so I got the courage to come and see Charlie and to make sure that he was okay, but I couldn't do anything once I saw you and your imprint, Jake, I couldn't mess that up for you or the kids. I slipped after I saw you, and while I was sleeping Thomas came to Forks looking for Charlie for me, to make sure that he was alright."

"His what?"

Bella's head whipped around to meet Leah's gaze; she looked surprised. "His imprint! I saw them in Port Angeles, that day, I knew it was her. I knew he was happy, and I couldn't mess it up for you, Jake, I knew that if you were happy that the kids must be too, so I left again."

"My what? What are you talking about, Bella?"

Bella jumped to her feet again, and Jake stood as well. "Your imprint, Jake. Lauren! Or have you forgotten her since I've been back? By the way, where is the woman you promised me would never exist?" It was cruel, and Bella knew it, but at the same time she couldn't help the words as they came of her mouth.

"What the hell are you talking about, Bella?" Jake roared.

"What am I talking about? _This_ is what I'm talking about!" Bella grabbed Jake's arm, and instantly the images came forth.

Jake with Lauren, the way he was touching her, the smile on his face as he led her down the sidewalk, the way his body was molded to hers. She showed him the kiss they shared on the street, him dragging her into the alley and pressing her against the building, attacking her lips, running his hand down her thigh, hitching her leg up over his hip, him grinding himself into her. Then there was the scare from Thomas, the scream and Jake walking into the street, Bella's heart pounding in her ears at the sight of him making his way toward her, then Lauren catching his attention, tugging him back to the sidewalk. The touches they shared before he left. Bella sending Thomas after Jake, Bella making her way to Lauren, the conversation with her, the pain when Bella realized that she was his imprint, the happiness she felt, when she knew that her family was happy.

Jake jerked his arm out of Bella's hand, his face a mixture of shock and bewilderment. "You think she's my imprint?"

"I know she is, Jake. I saw you, how can you lie about it? Thomas saw you buying a tux and telling the lady that it was for a wedding!"

"The tux was for Charlie's wedding, Bella! Not mine! God, you had him follow me," Then something clicked and his eyes widened; he took a step toward Bella. "It was _you_! You were the one that screamed, that day, I felt a pull toward that damn parking lot, Bella, and it was you! I smelled strawberries in the tux shop, but it smelled different…, off, and it was you. Goddamn it, Bella, it was you all along!"

Biting her lip while looking at her feet, Bella whispered, "It was me, Jake, but it doesn't matter. You were with your imprint! How was I supposed to compete with that? I knew I couldn't come back, Jake, I knew you would try to fight it and it was only going to hurt you and the kids and I couldn't do that. I left for you! I left for them, so they could actually have a life that I wanted them to have, don't you get it, Jake?"

His arms latched around her shoulder, pulling her off the ground so that her eyes were level with his, she could see his nostrils flaring, rage burned in his eyes. "I didn't fucking imprint! I told you I never would!" Then he dropped her back to the grass and the impact made Bella stumble and then fall back onto her ass.

"Don't lie to me, Jake. I saw you! You saw what I saw, you never acted like that with _me_ in public, you were practically having sex on the side of that building, you were giving her _my _smile, mine," Bella said as she beat her hand against her chest. "What I don't get is why are you lying to me, and why the hell you were able to have sex with me last night when you imprinted? Is it because you're Alpha now, you can just do as you please?"

"Oh, fucking hell."

"Shit, this isn't going to end well."

Bella's head shot around to stare at both Quil and Embry. Leah's eyes were wide, as she looked at Bella.

There was a roar, and then the ripping sound of a transformation and a wolf was slowly stalking its way toward Bella. Her eyes widened at the sight - this wasn't Jake, not really. The eyes were blank, his muzzle was pulling back further and further over his teeth with each inch that he stalked forward. Then there was a bare back stepping in her line of sight, another roar, another phase and then there was fighting. Bella could hear the snarls and bites and yelps, but she couldn't see any of it. All she could see was a bare back; she wasn't sure whose it was, they all looked the same.

Bella was jerked from behind, the back of whom she noticed was Seth shielded her, she could see a russet wolf and the jet black wolf fighting; she winced knowing the black one was Sam.

"Shit, Bella," Seth swore, as he watched the fight, "Jake didn't imprint, Lauren was just his girlfriend. You need to fucking stop him before he tears Sam apart."

"He, what, but Lauren said, he didn't?"

"No, now fucking stop him!" Leah shoved Bella toward the two fighting wolves, and Sam's tail smacked Bella in the face causing her to jump back. It must have caught Jake's attention, because the fight stopped instantly.

The russet wolf stood feet from Bella, the hair on his back was on end and his teeth still showing. "You didn't... oh, my god, Jake, you didn't, I'm so sorry. I'm so damn sorry. We could've... I could have… the kids, oh, my god, Thomas...!" The contents of Bella's stomach made their way into the grass. Her hands were shaking as she wiped her face on her sleeve.

"Thomas what?" He had phased again, and his tone clipped and short as he stood looking down at Bella.

Bella shook her head at him, hiding her face in her hands. It was all wrong; she had it wrong all along. All those years she wasted thinking Jake was imprinted and he wasn't. If only she would have gone to see Charlie, she could have been…

"Thomas what, Bella?" The demanding tone made her lift her head. Meeting his eyes she felt the tears leak down her cheeks.

Her head was shaking as she answered, her voice pleading for forgiveness. "He.. I…we…"

"Did you sleep with him, Bella?"

Bella could hear the rustling of feet behind her, aware that the pack was there, listening, they would judge her for sure.

"I'm sorry, Jake, I thought…"

"You slept with him because you thought I had imprinted when I told you I wouldn't?"

"It wasn't like that, Jake! I thought you were happy, I just wanted to be happy, too, we stayed together for a while, until the Cullens moved again. I thought you were happy..."

"I thought you didn't move on?" Jake backed away from Bella, causing her heart to break. Leah stepped forward, her hand on Bella's shoulder.

"We are done here. Let's go." Bella could feel the bass in his voice, she thought it was a command but the fact that Leah or Seth hadn't moved from her side, made her wonder.

"Jake, you moved on for a while, you can't blame…"

"I said, we're done here!" He broke in, effectively cutting off Leah's sentence. Her hand gripped Bella's shoulder. "Take her back to the Cullen's, make sure she gets there safe."

His back turned toward Bella and then he was walking away, the other wolves slowly following, both Quil and Sam met Bella's eyes and sadly shook their heads, not at her but at the situation, she hoped, though she couldn't be so sure.

His figure had no sooner reached the tree line when a snarl jerked her out of her trance. It felt like a freight train had hit her in the next second, and one word was yelled before she was being pressed into a hot chest as the wind hit her face.

_Vampire._


	20. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry for not updating Saturday like I said, but ff was having issues, but here it is! Hope you enjoy. On a side note in a previous chapter I had stated that all of the wolves but Collin and Brady were phased. I forgot to add that Seth and Leah weren't phased either, that they phased right after the Cullen's. Jake phased right before they left.**

**Chapter 18**

Bella knew, in this very moment, that nothing but pure fear should be racing through her body. Just moments ago she was kneeling in the grass with Leah's supportive hand on her shoulder with Seth beside her, while the very reason for her existence simply walked away after hearing she had slept with another man.

When the word vampire was yelled, Bella's mind didn't even have a moment to react when, like a blur, the figure that was once so far away was scooping her up in his overheated embrace and running like hell with her into the trees. At first he was carrying her bridal style, his fingers digging into her ribs and under her knee. As soon as they hit the woods though, Bella's legs were flying out of Jake's arms, her body arching out in front of the two, for what reason she wasn't sure as her legs spread and then her lower body was slamming into Jacob's waist, his arms were no longer around her but pumping at his sides. Her fingernails were digging in to the back of his neck, while her ankles were now locked on his lower back, and he was running.

Running faster than he ever ran before in human form. The only thing that was on Jake's mind the very moment Brady yelled 'Vampire' was to get Bella and run. It wasn't what he normally would have done; being the Alpha of the pack... since Bella had left, Jake was the one who wanted to get the kill in most of all. But, today, the only thing his wolf was telling him to do was to get his mate and to get out out of there to safety. As Jake ran, he could feel the vibrations below his feet from his pack, presumably running after the bloodsucker; he had faith in them, faith that Leah would be the Beta he knew she could be and lead them without him there.

He was darting through the forest, when a tidal wave of relief washed over him; he knew it wasn't his own because he was angry and panicked. What he didn't understand was why Bella felt relief. It was so strong that Jake's stride slowed, almost to the point that he was stumbling. He hadn't really took note to where he was going, he really didn't care at the time, but when his surroundings caught up with him he sighed; was this why she felt relieved?

The road was filled with potholes, which in turn were filled with water, and he slowly walked through them, his bare feet padding silently along the road. Hestill wanted to run, his wolf still wanted him to run, but Bella's emotions were taking over his own and he couldn't force himself to pick up the pace. He couldn't see Bella but he could feel the beating of her heart in her chest and it was going crazy. Her fingernails were still digging into the back of his neck, her body completely opposite than what she was feeling. He wondered if she was looking at their spot when they walked past it. But then her head moved and she was shoving her face in the side of his neck; fighting his wolf, Jake came to a halt.

Putting his hands on Bella's tiny ribcage he began to push her back, he needed to see her face, know what she was thinking. The second his hands touched her body he felt all the tension drain out of her muscles, but when he pushed back, her nails dug in deeper, making him wince; her heels locked tighter, pulling their lower bodies even closer, and he smiled.

He could feel her lips and hot breath moving over his neck, he could hear her mumbling something, but those soft, freezing cold lips so tight against his skin, even with his werewolf hearing and the fact that her mouth was just inches from his ear, and he couldn't make out what she was saying.

Moving his hands from her ribcage around to her back, Jake slowly began rubbing her back up and down, then making small circles, and the tension slowly started to drain from her body as he felt his body swaying back and forth, just like he used to soothe Ali. The thought amused him, it was so much the same. When she was little she never wanted to sleep, she was always on alert, she would fight sleep down to the last little screech that was left in her body and the last ounce of energy left in her legs. He held her in this very position, minus the nails in his neck, nightly for a year. As soon as he would begin to sway back and forth, though, the screaming would lessen, the little grip she always had on his neck would loosen and soon her body would go limp.

_She's just like her mother_, Jake thought, as Bella's fingernails eased out of his skin, her fingers lacing together and no longer gripping his neck, but still not letting go.

When Jake was finally able to soothe her enough to push her back, just enough for her lips to have space, he could hear her, her words both soothed him and angered him at the same time. It was a chant over and over again, _You came back_. That's all she was saying. Of course he came back, where the hell would he have gone? Did she really think that he would just leave her there when a vampire was so close to her, his Bella?

"Yes."

His body stiffened, the words he thought he was thinking had actually been said. When he turned his head just so he could see the tears glistening in Bella's eyes, he got angry all over again. Pulling his hands from her back he cupped her cheeks in his palms, and with a little more pressure then he intended Bella's face squished into that of a fish; for a millisecond, he though it was funny, at least until one of her warm tears slid down his thumb, making its way to his wrist.

"You really think I would just leave you, honey, after all this, after everything we've been through?"

She couldn't answer, because deep down Bella thought she knew better, this was Jake, after all, but that moment, when he had told Leah to take her back to the Cullens, Bella thought Jake was done with her; it had cut her to the core. Was she shocked? She couldn't say that she was. Was she torn to shreds, at the disdain in his voice towards her? Hell yes. The pain she had experienced watching his back flex with every step he took from her was so overwhelming, she didn't really know how to handle it. She knew at the time, she was on the verge of a breakdown, but then he was holding her, running with her, protecting her, keeping her out of harm's way, he hadn't ever really left at all.

"Do you... Bella, do you think… do you really think I could leave you?"

She could hear the pain and hurt within his voice, but she had to be honest. "Yes, you walked away Jake and it hurt so bad, I thought you were done with me. I'm sorry I slept with him, had a relationship with him. I don't want you to hate me. I still loved you, I always loved you, Jake."

"Bells, I could never hate you. You're it for me, honey, don't you get that?"

"Then why did you walk away, Jake? Why did you tell Leah to take me back to the Cullen's?"

"It was stupid, Bells, I just… the very thought of someone else touching you when you are mine, it just… it fucking drives me insane, it breaks my heart, and most of all it makes my wolf want to throw you down and claim you all over again. I couldn't stand it, Bella, and I know it is unrealistic but I thought I would be the only one to ever see you and touch you like that, me, Bella. I had to leave, honey, I didn't want to say or do something worse than that, I think I would have, I'm so jealous right now, it's killing me."

"I wish you were the only one, god, Jake, I really wish you were. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have. I just, when I saw you and her that day, I was stunned. You never did things like that with me in public, and it was like you were this totally different person, and it hurt so bad and at the same time I was jealous, why wasn't I good enough for touches like that?"

"You don't think you were good enough, honey? You _were_ good, you _are_ good enough. I was so young back then, Bells, I wanted to get you up against every surface in La Push, but I didn't, because I didn't want people getting the wrong idea, I didn't want to embarrass you or make you think I was just doing it to put on a show. You don't know how hard it was for me, Bells, it was so fucking hard."

"Did you love her?"

The question threw him off. His eyes pinched closed and he really didn't want to tell her, especially right now since she was actually thinking he was even capable of ever letting her go. But he had to, he couldn't lie to her, he wouldn't dream of it.

"I did once, a long time ago." He could feel her hands fall slack, her fingers unlacing and dropping to rest limply on his back. "I'm not going to lie to you, and say that I didn't because I did love her, she was great to me and the kids, to the pack. But truth be told, Bells, you were there in my mind every fucking day, I never once stopped thinking about you, never once stopped hoping and praying that you'd come back to me and the kids. I always wanted you there, and it made things so hard. I didn't want to move on at first, but I thought you were gone and I just needed to be happy, the kids needed to be happy, and we were with her."

Bella tore her eyes from Jake, looking toward the sky, the moon was sitting high and clouds were passing over it, casting them in light and then back into darkness once more. The stinging in her heart shocked her when Jake told her that he had once loved Lauren, even though she had known it already it was like a vice wrapped around her heart and squeezed, it was still squeezing her, she could tell was starting to get cold, she could feel the tell tale signs; it was long past the time when she needed to take her medicine.

"I need to go back to the Cullens, Jake," a growl cut her off. When her eyes darted to Jake's to see if the vampire had caught up with them she realized she was wrong, his eyes were piercing into hers, red hot furry swirling within them.

"That's it, you're just going to give up, just go running back to the Cullens because I told you that I loved someone once? I don't love her anymore, I haven't loved her in forever, why don't you understand? You were gone, I was lost without you, I didn't know how to make sense of anything, my world left and took my heart with her, I didn't really know if I had one for a long time and the one person who actually convinced me I did still didn't take your place. She was never you, Bella."

"That's not what I meant, Jake, I need to go back to get my medicine."

"You're not going back, damn it, not ever. I'm never letting you go back there. You're mine, Isabella, mine damn it, and I am never letting you near those damn leeches again. We'll go to the store and get your medicine; you're not going back, I won't let you." Jake's voice, which was once laced with fury, was now sad and pleading; his grip tightened on her body, he wasn't lying, he wouldn't let her go.

"I need my medicine, Jake, we can't get it from a store, Carlisle makes it for me. We can't get it anywhere, I have to go back to get it." Bella wanted nothing more than to stay here on the reservation with Jake, but she knew that if she didn't take the medicine she would have nightmares, and chills and the very possibility of it not fighting the venom in her system made her cringe.

Slipping her hands from around his neck she cupped his cheek, pulling her face close enough to his so that their noses were touching, "I'm never going to leave you again, Jake, I don't want to go back to the Cullens, but we have to go back and we have to get my medicine. I can't not take it, you have to understand that what Victoria did to me has me so messed up, and not just the depression and the nightmares. My heart doesn't beat like it's supposed to, and my body temperature is borderline at best when I am taking the medicine. I don't know what it would be like if I didn't and I just… I don't want to chance it."

He knew she was right, why would she lie, her body was colder than it used to be and when she began to panic her temperature would plummet, he had felt that himself. Just remembering her icy skin after her nightmare last night made him shudder.

Just then, a howl rang out in the distance, Bella's body stiffened against Jake, her fingers clutching the back of his neck once again. He could hear the slow rhythm of her heart skyrocket.

"Shhh, Bells, that was just Embry, it wasn't an alarm, but I gotta see what they've got, what happened. Will you be okay if I put you down, honey?"

Her hands laced in the back of his hair, and she let her forehead drop against his lips with one last squeeze she slowly dropped her legs from his waist, and peeled her fingers from his hair. She wouldn't back up though, the clouds had covered the moon once again, and they were covered in blackness. Jake could see Bella fisting the hem of her hoodie, worrying her lip so much that he could smell the smallest hint of rust. Drawing his hand to her cheek he rubbed it soothingly while gently pulling her lip from her mouth.

"Honey, you have to back up just a little bit, I don't want to knock you over when I phase."

He saw her squeeze her eyes shut then, her lip making its way back into her mouth. Lifting her foot she took one step back, wincing as she did so, and his heart broke. Bella was so scared, of what he wasn't sure, he didn't know if it was the darkness itself or the fact that there was vampire out there or the very thought of him pushing her away even for her own safety. Not wanting to prolong the moment Jake looked to the side making sure that Bella was far enough away; she was, just barely, and then he phased.

As soon as his paws hit the ground he started to shake out his fur, and then arms were wrapping around his neck as tight as they could, she wasn't letting him go either.

_What's the word, Embry, did you get the leech?_

There was a flash in his vision, it was quick, something Embry had seen while in chase, the figure was huge and it was fast, not as fast as others of its kind but fast enough. As soon as Jake had ran off with Bella the leech had begun to follow, when Jake crossed over the border to the reservation the wolves behind him could see his slight hesitation, then with a growl it had ducked its head and shot forward, picking up speed once again. It didn't get more than a few feet before CJ came flying out of the woods to its left and butted it in the side causing it to stumble and roll. In a flash the leech was on its feet with its hands thrown up; a sign that he was giving up.

The wolves were confused by this: in all the years they had been fighting vampires none had ever stopped or thrown his hands out. CJ was about to pounce when Sam yelled at him to stop. Although he wasn't Alpha anymore or Beta for that matter CJ's body froze. Sam was the closest to the vampire besides CJ and he knew just by the smell of him that he was a Cullen. When the thought crossed his mind the older wolves snarled. They were back, at least one of them, and he was chasing after Bella.

Jake knew that it was going to happen, he had hoped that it wasn't, but deep down he knew that they would come back. Bella had told him herself just the other day that she thought they were going to come back. He felt the small arms wrap around his neck so tight that the snarl that was working its way out of his gut was coming out straggled at best; he was scaring her. He let a shudder roll through him and stopped. Her arms loosened around his neck but didn't drop.

_He says his name is Emmett, that the rest of the family are on their way back, that they are worried about her. He said Bella told him she would call and she never did, and the one that can see the future hasn't seen her at all since she got here, he freaked and came, thinking something was wrong with her._

_Where is he now, why isn't anyone watching him?_

_I am watching him, Jake._

It was then that Jake took in the surroundings around Embry. He was sitting at the treaty line staring at the silver jeep Bella had been driving. The leech was sitting inside with the windows rolled up, a look of disgust on his face.

_He said he's not leaving until he sees Bella, he wants to make sure she's okay._

Jake growled at that causing Bella's hands to once again tighten around his neck.

_You tell him Bella's okay, and that she's not coming anywhere near him or his family._

There was a shift, and Jake was alone. Where the hell were all the other wolves?

Embry phased just inside the tree line on the side of the road leading into La Push. The moment he walked out of the woods, Emmett was throwing open the door to the jeep and darting to the line, the movement made Embry uneasy and he growled a warning.

"Relax, dog; I'm not going to step across the line. Where's Bella, is she okay?"

"She's fine, and you need to leave."

"I'm not leaving this spot until I see for myself that she is alright, where is she?"

The demanding tone in his voice sliced through Embry, causing his skin to crawl, how dare this leech demand anything.

"I said Bella was fine and that you need to leave, now."

"I said I'm not leaving until I see Bella."

Embry was slowly stalking forward. He hadn't realized how close he was until his nose, his chest, was almost touching the vampire's, the stench almost forgotten in the sea of anger that was pumping through him. His wolf wanted to snap his teeth just once, and it would be over, and his head would be on the ground. As Embry clenched his fists, trying to regain control of the beast within, Leah stepped out of the woods, tugging on a cotton sundress.

"Embry, back down."

His posture slumped just enough for Emmett to see, and he quirked an eyebrow at him, eliciting a snarl to rip through Embry's chest. Leah's hand was on his forearm, jerking him back from the line before he could do something stupid.

"Phase, and tell Jake he needs to bring Bella here, the leech isn't going to leave until he see's her, and we can't risk people passing by him all hours of the night if he really is going to wait for her."

With his teeth bared Embry walked backwards into the woods, never taking his eyes off Emmett, as soon as he was far enough in he stripped and phased.

_Leah said you need to bring Bella to the line, the leech isn't leaving, Jake. She doesn't want to risk people crossing his path._

_I'm not taking her anywhere near that leech, Embry._

_Jake, man, I know you don't like it, but me and Leah will be there, do you really want to risk everyone that comes into the Rez driving past him?_

Jake knew he was right, he didn't want to put anyone at risk, but at the same time actually taking Bella to a leech wasn't sitting well with him.

_Come on, Jake, me and Leah will be here, just let him see her and then we're gone._

_I'm coming, _was all Embry heard before he felt the power of his Alpha dissipate from his mind.

Walking out of the woods again, Embry noticed that Leah and the vampire weren't speaking, just having a staring contest. When the movement caught Emmett's attention his head snapped at inhuman speed in Embry's direction, once again causing his wolf to be on alert and growling.

"He's coming with her, leech, but you so much as step a foot across that line, so much as touch her or try some of your voodoo magic shit on her you're mine, you got me?"

Emmett allowed one of his lips to pull up on the side, _The kid has spunk._ With a nod of his head Emmett dropped his arms from across his chest and waited.

Jake shook, once, twice and on the third time he pushed Bella back a little. Her arms dropped, and he felt the weight of her body leave his. As soon as he phased, before he could get his bearings, Bella was jumping at him, causing him for the first time since he had been a wolf to lose his balance and fall back.

She was climbing up his body that was lying in the dirt, fighting her way into his embrace. Bella didn't know what was wrong with her, there was just this underlying panic within her that told her something was wrong, she didn't want to let go of Jake, she didn't want him to let go of her.

"Hey, Bells, honey, you need to calm down. I'm right here, everything's okay."

"Did…did they get it, the vampire, Jake tell me they got it." He could feel her body shaking as she spoke, the ice was filling her fingertips that were pressing against his shoulders.

"No, honey, they didn't get it. Sam wouldn't let them," He felt her stiffen at his words, felt her suck in a ragged breath. Soothing down her hair, he had to tell her. "It was one of your vampires, honey, it was the big one."

"Emmett. What's he doing here, Jake, I didn't tell him to come, I swear I didn't."

"I know you didn't, Bells. He told Embry that you were supposed to call him but that you never did and the one that can see the future hasn't seen you since you came back, so they came to make sure you were okay. We need to go, he said he wasn't going to leave until he knew that you were alright." Jake was slowly righting himself as he talked to Bella.

"You ready, Bells?" He could see the worry in her eyes, that lip gripped between her teeth. "Bells, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I won't let them take you from me again. Embry and Leah are there, you're safe with us."

Bella gave Jake a quick nod but buried her head in his neck. Her cool nose pressed against his skin, he could feel her taking deep breaths, every puff of air slowly soothing her. They hadn't made it halfway down the road before she was sleeping soundly, tucked into his arms.

The warmth wrapped around Bella's back and ribs was gone for a second, but it was long enough to notice that she was being shifted from the arms of Jake into Embry's arms. When her eyes were able to focus, the moon was full, bright and shining, and that's when she saw Jake walking away from her into the woods. She started to scramble in Embry's arms, trying to get free, when a small cry spilled from her lips Jake turned, bent down, and pulled a pair of cut-offs from behind a tree. His eyes never left hers as he worked the jeans on, or as he walked back over to her. When he got close enough he ran his hand over her cheek moving the hair from her face he dropped a kiss to her forehead, and walked down the road toward Emmett.

Bella was far enough away from the line that she couldn't see much. She saw that Leah was standing off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest, Jake's fists were clenching with every step he took closer to Emmett. Bella would have panicked, if it wasn't for Embry whispering into her ear that Jake was just going to talk to him, that nothing was going to happen.

She couldn't hear what either of them said, but when both Jake and Leah moved to the side, both pointing in Bella's direction, she moved to sit straighter up in Embry's arms. She smiled at Emmett, she knew he would see, and gave him a shy wave.

"You okay, sis?" Emmett was looking right at her as he said it, waiting for any indication that she wasn't okay. He wasn't sure if she was, really, the ball of his foot was digging into the dirt ready to sprint across the line at any sign that would tell him that no she wasn't okay. But she didn't, she smiled at him once more, her grip on the wolf holding her tightened as did his grip on her and she told him that she was indeed okay.

Looking back at Jake, Emmett knew he had to tell him of their plans. While they were waiting for Jake to show up with Bella, the girl had told him that she was the Beta of the pack and that Jake was Alpha. It hadn't been long after the Cullens had moved back to Forks when one of the elders of the tribe had called a meeting with the entire Cullen family. He had asked for them to meet in the very spot they were now. When the Cullens met that night it was agreed that the treaty would be enforced. The Cullens had asked that they were made aware of each new member that came to the pack, for safety purposes. Emmett knew when he left that there were six wolves. From the smell of the line he was sure there were more.

"Listen, the family is in Tacoma right now, they're just waiting on my call. I won't tell them to come tonight because I can tell Bella isn't ready for it," Jake looked over his shoulder, noticing that Bella's head was against Embry's chest and she was once again sleeping. "We'll meet you tomorrow in the clearing, the same one as you were in tonight. All of us will be here, bring your pack."

Emmet was jumping in the jeep, flooring it down the road before Jake could respond. His anger was eating at him, they were coming back. All of them; Edward was coming back, and they wanted to meet his pack. Jake had known about the Cullens all along, it was only weeks before Edward had left that Jake had phased. Even though he hadn't seen Bella due to his phasing he knew who Edward Cullen was and it clicked, the reason why Jake hadn't liked him from the start.

Walking his way back to Embry he took Bella in his arms, very carefully so as not to wake her, and began walking down the road back to the little red house. He wanted so badly to take Bella to his home, their home now that she was back, but he knew things with CJ were tense, and he had things to talk to him about. If CJ was the one that had stopped Emmett, he knew that he hadn't listened when he told the younger wolves to phase back and go to the Rez, Jake only wondered how much CJ had seen through the pack mind and how much he had heard after.

Making his way up the drive of the little red house Jake could still see the garage door hanging open. He jerked his head toward the door, and Embry broke away to close it. Leah was still following close behind him. The closer he got to the house the clearer the sound was of the TV playing inside, he could see it flickering off the dark walls of the house. Slowly, Jake made his way up the porch and pushed the door open. Billy was laying on the couch, a coke barely in his hand as a rerun of a game played. Smiling, Jake walked down the hall, and slowly opened the door to his old room. He flicked on the lamp to the side of his old bed.

The room wasn't in the best shape, CJ stayed in this room when he would spend nights with Billy. and what was left of Jake's old clothes were still spilling out of his old broken down dresser. The posters from his youth still hung on the walls; some curling at the edges from age. Walking over to his old bed Jake pulled back the covers and slowly placed Bella in the center. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. Even in the small twin bed Bella still seemed small to him. When he threw the cover over her she shifted, murmured his name in her sleep and rolled to face him. Bending down beside the bed, Jake gently moved the hair from her forehead and then placed a kiss there before standing back. Turning toward the door Jake took two steps, before her small hand grabbed onto the ends of his fingers, squeezing them in their embrace.

"Stay with me."

Turning on his heel Jake bent down, kneeling so he was eye level with Bella. "I'm going to go get your medicine, honey. The Cullens are coming back tomorrow and we have to get your stuff out of there before then."

"Are you going to come back tonight?"

The truth was, it was taking everything he had to convince the wolf to leave knowing she needed the medicine, the wolf was fighting to be with his mate and his mate only, but Jake knew that the wolf was wrong this time, Bella needed this. CJ and Ali were probably at home waiting for him to return and Jake knew that it was going to be a long night with them, most likely answering Ali's questions about her mother and CJ's about the things that he likely saw when he didn't do as Jake asked.

"I can't stay tonight, but, Bells, you really don't know how much I want to stay. I have to get home to the kids, they need me, I have to stay there tonight."

"Please."

Jake bowed his head, fighting an inner battle. She was making it so hard on him. "Billy is going to be here tonight, Collin and Brady are still on patrol, you'll be fine, Bells, you're going to be okay here. I'll be back in a little bit with your medicine."

Dropping a quick rough kiss to the corner of her lips he shot up from the floor, wiggling his fingers out of her clutch, and quickly walked out the door. Jake nearly ran Leah over in the hall as she was coming out of Billy's room. He had to get out of there before he changed his mind. Just as the front door clicked closed he could hear her sobbing. Looking over to Leah she shook her head sadly at him, before making her way to the garage where Embry was still waiting.

The wolves phased, and they ran to the Cullen's in silence. The smell of the big leech was all around the outside of the house, causing the wolves to growl a low warning. Standing near the front door they waited. When there was no sign of movement within the house Jake phased back telling Leah and Embry to patrol the house while he was inside.

Jake cautiously made his way up the porch to the front door. With a jerk of his wrist the lock on the other side snapped and the door flew open banging into the wall behind it. Walking into the house Jake could still smell the musky smell of their sexual escapades from the other night. Scanning the room nothing seemed untouched, the cover was still laying in a pool by the piano, muddy foot prints surrounding it, leading in two directions toward the kitchen and up the stairs.

Jake took the stairs two at a time and quickly darted into the room. His wolf was howling on the inside with pleasure when he stepped near the bed. It was saturated with his and Bella's scent. The makeshift cover bed was in disarray, his towel from the night before thrown across the room as were Bella's night clothes. Scanning the room he found the bag and quickly made his way toward it. When he jerked it up off the floor a small worn leather book fell to the floor with a thud.

Crouching down Jake picked up the leather journal, he noticed that the corners were worn and the leather old and smooth. There was a braided leather cord that was holding the book closed and at the end was a silver bead. He slipped the cord from around the book and gasped when it fell flat open in his hands. There was a picture of him bent down behind a cake, CJ and Ali on either side of him. It was at their sixth birthday. Thumbing through the pages, Jake saw more pictures of the kids they were all when they were young. There was were a couple of pictures of him and Bella together as kids, and on the very last page of the book there was a picture of Bella and Edward at their prom. Slamming the book closed Jake stood quickly, throwing it back into the bag while stomping toward the bathroom. Throwing her medicine in the bag Jake made his way back into the bedroom to gather the rest of her clothes.

Stomping down the stairs still growling to himself, he found Leah and Embry waiting for him at the foot of the porch steps. Securing the flap on the bag Jake threw it to the ground, phased, picked it up in his mouth and took off, not waiting for Leah or Embry to phase or follow him.

The two looked at each other, shrugged and phased at the same time. As soon as the connection was made Embry and Leah could see the leather album, the pictures of the kids, a few from when Jake and Bella were children, they felt his anger spike and then the flash of the picture from their prom.

_Where did she get pictures of you and the kids, Jake?_

He growled out while shooting the wolf beside him a glare. _I have no idea how she got them, but there is an entire album of them. _

_Well, at least she has pictures of you, it just proves what she said back there, Jake, she thought about you all the time. _Leah had to admit that she too wondered how Bella had gotten pictures of Jake and the kids, and then something hit her.

_Maybe the guy she was with that time broke into Charlie's house and stole the pictures for her?_

_Do you really think that guy would break into someone's house to steal pictures, Leah, and how would he know where Charlie lived; he was on the rez by then._

_Well, excuse me, Embry, but at least I'm trying to come up with something._

Jake quickened his stride then, the bag swinging back and forth, smacking under his chest and almost tripping him up. The thoughts kept swirling in his mind. Bella had an album of him and his kids, but she had a picture of Edward in that album too. If he really didn't mean anything to her then why the hell would that picture still be there?

Jake halted at the tree line behind the little red house. Phasing back he dug through the bag and pulled out the leather album. Closing the bag he thrust it out to the side just in time for Leah to walk into his arm.

"Take this inside, make sure she takes her medicine, I'm going home."

Leah stiffened placing her hands on her hip and cocking her head to the side. "Don't you think that you should put that in the bag, too," she said while jabbing her finger at the book Jake was holding.

Jake clutched the album tighter, actually worried that she was going to rip it out of his grasp, it wouldn't surprise him. "I'm taking this home with me."

Leah huffed while rolling her eyes, "Uh, Jake, don't you think that's an invasion of her privacy? I mean that's hers, she probably has private things in there she doesn't want anyone seeing and if she did I think she would tell you that she wanted you to see them."

"It's none of your business, Leah, now go."

Her lip instantly lifted into a snarl at the slight change in his tone, it wasn't an order, but it was close enough. Looking back over her shoulder before jerking the bag out of Jake's hand she shot Embry a glare, "You could say something, you know."

Jake turned and saw the expression on Embry's face, he knew he was going to say something, but Jake really didn't want to hear it right now. He knew he shouldn't be going through Bella's things, keeping them from her, but he couldn't help but to want to look at the book, see the pictures she had in there, maybe it would help him find out where she had gotten then from, find out answers.

Walking past Embry, Jake let his shoulder bump that of his friend. Embry blew out a puff of air before following Jake into the woods. They walked silently shoulder to shoulder until they came to Embry's backyard. Stopping, Jake could tell that Embry was uncomfortable; the scratching of the back of his neck and shifting of his weight was a clear indicator. Waving the book at Embry Jake waited for his attention, "Do you think I should leave it, or take it back?"

"Listen, Jake, I'm not going to lie to you. I think you reading that book, looking through it, is an invasion of her privacy to some degree, but honestly if it were me I couldn't stop myself from looking through it, as wrong as it maybe. There are just too many unanswered questions out there. She's been gone sixteen years and what she gave you, gave us tonight, was huge, but there are a ton of little things out there still lingering."

"That really didn't help, Embry."

"Eh, what do ya do, I could always ask Ang what she thinks." He quirked his eye at Jake, making him shuffle on his feet, it was funny how the wolves would get uncomfortable at even the thought of an imprint's disapproval.

"Nah, man, I think it's okay."

Embry laughed, then gave Jake a mock punch to the arm before turning and striding toward his back door.

As Jake drew closer to his house he could smell the fire burning. When they had built this house he had put a fireplace in. It wasn't that Jake needed one, but the extra heat was something that he knew Bella would like when he did it; the day he made the plans for the house was a bad day, and although there were things about it he knew Bella would have done differently, it was still his house, but he couldn't help but add small touches he knew she would like, ever-hoping for her return.

When he walked in the back door Ali was sleeping on the couch in front of the fire, one of Bella's old books lying across her stomach. Dropping Bella's book on the table he picked up the one Ali was reading and placed it on top of the other. Kneeling down he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. After putting Ali in bed Jake shuffled across the hall. Cracking the door open Jake peered into his bedroom. CJ was lying on his stomach one of his arms hanging off the bed, no covers to be seen. It almost reminded him of himself, but CJ's bed was a lot bigger than Jake's had been as a kid, it was just that he was so much bigger, even more than Jake was after he had first phased.

Letting the door click closed Jake walked down the hall and flopped onto the couch. He sat for a while watching the fire flickering, listening to the popping of the wet wood. Just as Jake's eyes began to droop he caught sight of the leather bound book sitting on the table... He pulled it out, running his hands over the smooth leather. Holding the binding up to his nose he winced when he smelled it. He could smell sickly sweet scent of the leeches but underneath it was all Bella.

Fingering the cord, Jake contemplated on opening the book. Just as his finger caught the braided cord he thought better of it. If Bella really wanted him to know what all was in that book she would tell him, he trusted her to do that. Flopping back against the couch Jake ran his hands over his face trying to relax. Just then a pain shot through his heart causing him to suck in a steadying breath. Jumping to his feet, Jake was out the door running.

He was standing in the backyard of the little red house before he knew it. He could hear Bella whimpering and fighting in the sheets once again. She must have been having another dream, it was then he wondered if Leah had really made Bella take her medicine. His name was said with a groan, while the rustling of fabric caught his ears. He stepped forward but stilled when the sound of her whimpering slowed, he stood there at the tree line listening, waiting to see if she was going to be okay.

He was jerked out of his trance when a small hand touched the back of his shoulder, the second the hand made contact with his skin he thought it was Bella, but how could that be when she was sleeping in the house just feet from him.

Looking over his shoulder he saw Ali, her face was so innocent, but guilty-looking at the same time. "Sorry about that, Dad."

"It's okay, kid, but what are you doing here?"

"I heard you leave, I thought you'd come here," she said while wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You should go to her, Daddy, she needs you."

Jake let out a puff of air, watching it turn into a small cloud as it escaped into the cool night. It had once again started to rain.

"I can't, I need to get home, we" - he said, while raising an eyebrow and motioning between them, "need to get home. Is CJ still at home?"

"Don't worry about CJ, he's just been in a bad mood because he told Sage he loved her the other day and she didn't say it back."

"He… he did what?"

"Yeah, bummer, I know."

"How did you find out? Did CJ tell you, why didn't he talk to me about it?

"Well, Dad, you have been kind of busy." Jake once again took note of the wiggle in her eyebrows, shaking his head he let her continue, acting as though his daughter wasn't throwing implications out at him, "He didn't tell me, Sage did, and she is freaking out. I mean, she knows that she is his imprint and they are kind of dating, and deep down I really do thinks she loves him, but, really, she's fifteen. It would freak me out if someone had told me they loved me at fifteen."

Jake allowed himself to growl at that. She was too young at sixteen for that let alone the thought of someone doing it a year ago. He couldn't help but smile, though, "I wonder what Embry thinks."

Ali broke out into a fit of giggles, while Jake let his loud laughter rumble through the woods. It was then that the struggle inside seemed to slow and finally stop, leaving both Ali and Jake wide-eyed and looking at the room Bella was sleeping in.

"I think she's your imprint, Dad," Ali said bluntly, while eyeing Jake for his reaction.

Looking down at Ali, Jake smiled, while shaking his head, "I'm starting to think she just might be too, kid."

Ali walked back into the woods; Jake stood there long enough to feel her phase. Scratching the back of his neck he looked up toward the window, his old window. A smile split his face when he heard Bella once again whimper his name. As he walked toward the house he hoped like hell the window was unlocked.

When his hands touched the peeling paint on the single-pane window he shook his head in disbelief, he was actually nervous. It was funny to him, here he was all these years later sneaking into his own bedroom in his own house where the girl of his dreams lay just inside.

Slowly, Jake worked the window up, wincing every time it would creak or groan. Bella was now facing the wall, her brown hair splayed across the pillow and the covers were half on the bed and half at her feet; she was in the fetal position. As Jake slowly made his way over to the bed he dropped his wet cut-offs to the floor. Searching through the drawers he found an old pair of basketball shorts that he prayed would fit; thankfully, they did. As he slipped into bed behind Bella he no sooner than got settled before he felt her wiggling back into the curve of his body. Wrapping his arm around her waist, hitching his leg around hers, he encased her in his warmth. He hugged her tighter that night, knowing that tomorrow he would be taking her to see the Cullens. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but fell the fear bubble up, what if she left again.


	21. Chapter 19

**Important A/N at the bottom, please read.**

Chapter 19

A tapping sound woke Bella the next morning. Slowly peeling her eyes open, Bella let them adjust to the light filtering in the room from the single-pane window. Bella made an attempt to stretch her muscles...when she realized she couldn't move. Something was pinning her to the bed. When she began to panic, a snore stopped her struggle. It was then that she noticed that the thing that was holding her to the bed was heavy and very warm. Scanning her eyes down her body she was met with first a toned russet arm, and following the muscle down to the finger she saw that Jake's hand was completely wrapped around her front and tucked under her opposite shoulder. When she tried to wiggle her legs once more she realized that his legs were draped over hers. Moving her head, she could now feel Jake's face tangled up in her hair, his lips were close to touching the back of her neck; she could feel the heat from his breath fanning through her hair.

Not wanting the warmth to leave, Bella lay limp under Jake's massive arms and legs, a smile slowly creeping across her face. She could hear Billy's wheelchair squeaking down the hall, moving into the kitchen. It wasn't long after when she heard pots and pans being shuffled around. She wondered then if Billy knew that she was there, wondered if she knew that Jake was there with her.

All she could remember from the meeting at the treaty line with Emmett was her telling him that she was okay; she could remember Jake putting her in his old bed, her asking Jake to stay, him telling her that he couldn't, her heart breaking at his words. She remembered Leah coming back and helping her to sit up and take her medicine, and she could just barely remember the feeling of being enveloped in warmth; she had thought it was a dream. It was then that she remembered Jake saying that the Cullens were coming back tomorrow. They were coming here, all of them. She could feel her heart start to pound, then cold that began licking at her fingertips. The warm arm that was wrapped around her torso tightened, and Jake grunted in his sleep.

"Bells. You're okay, Bella. I'm right here."

His words instantly soothed her, but she couldn't help but wonder why he was there. He had said he wasn't coming back, had told her that he needed to get home to the kids. "You came back."

The leg draped over her legs squeezed her tighter, as his lips fought through her hair to connect with her neck, the burning hot heat of his lips made her shiver. "I'm sorry I told you I couldn't," he whispered, as he kissed her neck. "I didn't think I was going to, but Ali said I should."

"Ali." It wasn't a question, but Bella pinched her eyes together, wondering just how much he had been telling their kids.

"She can be…" there was a pause and a chuckle, "very convincing."

"She told you to stay here with me. What did you tell her, what did she say?"

"Bells, why do you have a photo album with pictures of me and the kids, and Charlie in it?" He felt her stiffen, and then she relaxed.

"Emmett and Rosalie, they stole it from my mom's house in Florida."

"Who did what now?" She could feel the vibrations on her back, but she couldn't decipher if it was out of anger that Rosalie and Emmett were near her mom or the fact that someone like the Cullens was crazy enough to break into a house to steal pictures.

"Emmett, the one you met last night, when we were living in Louisiana they left for a while and when they came back they gave that to me. Rosalie told me that she and Emmett went down to Florida to find my mom, hoping that I would get in contact with her to let someone from my life know that I was alright. They found her and followed her, and one day when she was out they broke into her house and Emmett stole all of the pictures from her house, had them copied and made them into a book for me."

"Are you serious?" Jake didn't know what to think about that, he was at a loss for words.

"Yes. When they gave me the pictures, it was like the best thing ever - seeing the kids, Jake, they were so beautiful, and I couldn't stop looking at you in the pictures, I missed you so much." What little she could move, she made her arms come up to latch around his forearm. "Those pictures were the only thing that got me through some of the days; they made me want to fight and get better to work up the courage to come back to you."

The leg and arm wrapped once again around her tighter, almost to the point of pain, but Bella basked in the feeling of Jake's warmth against her skin. "How long have you had those, Bella?"

"We've lived in Whitefish, Montana for the last eight years; it was a couple of years before we moved there, I don't know, about ten years."

"You've been that close and you didn't just come back? Why didn't you come back, Bells?"

With a roll of her eyes and a huff, Bella parted her lips to speak, but before she could say anything, Jake spoke for her, "You really thought I would imprint, Bella? That I could actually do that to you, honey? I would never do that to you."

"You looked so happy that day, Jake, what was I supposed to think?"

"You weren't supposed to think that I had imprinted. I told you, Bells, I promised you all those years ago that I wouldn't do it and I didn't, I didn't imprint on her."

"I know you didn't, Jake, but Sam probably thought the same thing before he saw-," Jake's growl cut her off, before she could say another word, "I'm not Sam," he grit out, while the hand on her shoulder squeezed hard.

Just then the bedroom door slowly creaked open; peering over Jake's arm, Bella could see Billy sitting in his chair, a look of shock written on his face. When Jake fought his way out of the mess of her hair she could see the shock slide from his face until it resembled a smile; there was a glint in his eye as he stared back at them, as he said, "What did I tell you about bringing girls into your room, son?"

Bella's cheeks were instantly on fire, while Jake's head dropped back down into her hair, as he muttered something to himself.

"Well, come on kids, breakfast is ready. I didn't know you would be here this morning, Jake." The glint was back, "I would say I'm shocked that the smell of bacon didn't have you running to the kitchen, but I see you were preoccupied with other things."

"Dad!" Jake yelled, while throwing a pillow at Billy's quickly retreating form.

Bella took advantage of the lack of restraint and rolled over and buried her head in the pillow; she could still feel the heat burning on her face. She didn't really know why she should be embarrassed; she and Jake had shared this room and the same little bed, the entire time she was pregnant, but Billy and his teasing had done the trick.

She could feel Jake shuffling around in the bed, and she thought that he was getting up to go to the kitchen. She was proven wrong when she felt the heat at her back, the full length of his body barely pressing into hers as he hovered over her. When his lower half brushed up against her butt she gasped, taking in the smell that Jake had left on the pillow: earth, musk, and pine. Turning her head just in time, Jake dropped a kiss to the corner of her mouth before pressing his hips into her butt again, causing a straggled moan to escape her lips.

Out in the kitchen there was a very loud cough, and a couple pots clanked around. Jake chuckled, kissed the corner of her mouth once more and shot off the bed, not allowing his body to touch hers again, earning a whimper from Bella. Throwing the pillow across the room, Bella shook her head at the feeling.

She could hear the bathroom door close, and then the water in the sink started up. Peeling herself from the bed, Bella took stock of her clothes, she was still in the same thing she was wearing the night before minus the hoodie, which was now draped over Jake's old desk by her medicine. She remembered Leah helping her take it off before she fell back to sleep. Looking at the clock, Bella noticed that it read ten thirty. It was late; she couldn't believe she had slept that late.

As she made her way down the hall the bathroom door opened once more and Jake paused, looking at her with burning eyes. He very lightly shoved her against the wall in the hall and attacked her throat and neck with hot open-mouthed kisses. Every time his wet lips would touch her skin she would shudder, and when his hands began to roam down her sides, she fought back a moan, knowing that Billy was just feet away in the kitchen. Just as his hand made its way to the back of her jeans, one finger making their way into her back pocket, an even louder cough came from the kitchen.

Bella's head fell back against the wall with a thud, Jake's forehead pressed to hers, she could see that he was frustrated but he was also smiling. Turning her head to break their eye contact, Bella cleared her throat, "Coming, Billy."

"Any time now would be nice, kids" Billy shot back, amusement clearly ringing in his voice.

Jake backed up from Bella, smiling again as her eyes slid down his body. She hadn't really noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and when her eyes made their way down to the almost too-tight-in-the-first-place basketball shorts, they widened, and her hand shot to her mouth; she quickly averted her eyes from the ever-growing appendage, and she had to fight the urge to reach out and stroke it. As innocently as he could, Jake whispered _'What,'_ with another smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Smacking his chest, Bella began to walk away, when his hot hand grabbed her wrist and jerked her back to him. His hips bucked forward at the same time, causing Bella to openly gasp when she felt his erection digging into her lower back.

Fighting her way out of his embrace, she wheeled around and poked him in the chest. "Stop," she tried to scold, but the smile on her face gave her away. She knew he knew that she liked it, but Billy was waiting for them in the kitchen. Pointing down to the now full tent in his shorts, Bella spoke again, "Do something about that before you come out here." Before Jake could react, Bella was quickly making her way down the hall, her tiny hips swaying as she went.

Leaning back up against the wall, Jake tried to will his erection away, but the thought of those little hips shaking at him as she made her retreat sent his head banging into the wall behind him. "Fuck," he muttered, before rubbing his hands over his face. Only Bella could do that to him.

As Bella rounded the corner into the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her. Billy was sitting at the table, a huge smile on his face; next to him was Ali, who was also wearing a huge smile. With wide eyes Bella slowly began making her way into the kitchen, never dropping her gaze from her daughter. Ali looked so much her. It was like she was almost seeing herself sixteen years ago, sitting at that very table waiting for Jake to wake up.

Walking across the kitchen, Bella hurriedly made plates for the three, as she did so she could hear the tapping of Ali's foot on the kitchen floor, not long after a chair was scraping across the floor and Bella was enveloped with a hug from behind. It took her by surprise and she almost flinched away, but then Ali's forehead was pressed into her shoulder blades and Bella could barely hear her say '_I missed you,' _before she broke down into a fit of sobs. Turning in her daughter's embrace Bella flung her arms around her shoulders and they both cried.

Billy sat watching the two as a single tear made its way out of the corner of his eye. Just as he was wiping it away a throat cleared at the door, and all heads shot in that direction. Jake was wearing his cut-off jeans, looking a little less frustrated than he had in the hall.

Bella used the pads of her thumbs to wipe the tears off her daughter's cheek before kissing her forehead and whispering that she missed her too, which caused a smile to split across Ali's face before she was making her way over to Jake.

"Hey, daddy," she chirped in a very Alice-like fashion, as she jumped into her chair.

"Hey, kid, where's CJ?"

"I'm right here, dad." CJ said, while the front door banged into the wall.

CJ rounded the corner but stopped, when he saw Bella leaning up against the counter, "What's she doing here?" He grit out.

The icy tone in CJ's voice made the hairs on Bella's arms stand on end, she could see that he was gritting his teeth just looking at her. The stare he was shooting at her almost made her want to cower down out of fright. It was odd that she was so intimidated by her own son.

CJ walked over to the counter where the pan of biscuits sat, and he grabbed three and shoved one in his mouth. Turning on his heel he began to walk away while attempting to yell, "I'm out," when Jake's huge hand landed on his shoulder with a little more force than necessary, or so Bella thought; she saw Ali wince at the same time that CJ did. Scanning the room, she could see Billy's lips pressed together in a tight line and the anger clearly written on Jake's face.

"You'll sit, and you'll eat breakfast with us, then you can leave, CJ." There was just enough timbre there for Bella to feel it, Jake had just Alpha ordered her son to stay and have breakfast with them. The thought made Bella's heart crack, her head falling forward just enough for her hair to draw a curtain over her face.

When the chair was roughly scraped back from the table she pinched her eyes shut, and then there was a loud clatter. Looking up she could see that CJ was sitting across from her boring holes into her face. She looked up at him with sad eyes and mouthed 'I'm sorry'. She didn't know what else she could say. She _was_ sorry, sorry for everything that he had been through, sorry for what they all had been through, but mostly she was sorry that Jake had ordered him to do something against his will.

She felt a hot arm brush up against her own, then. Looking to the left, Jake had moved his chair closer to hers, so they would be in constant contact. When Bella shifted just enough, not only was her arm touching his but so was her leg and foot, she could feel the heat of his body warming the entire left side of her own and she relaxed at the feeling of it.

The splintering of wood brought her out of her relaxed state, when she looked up CJ's teeth were clinched and his knuckles were white from his fingers digging into Billy's table. She shot her eyes to the right and could see that Billy was getting upset by the scene in front of him, and when her eyes landed on Ali's her heart almost broke again. She had tears shining in her eyes; they were darting back and forth from CJ to Bella.

Sliding her chair back, Bella stood, "I think I'm just going to go for a walk. I'll be back in a bit."

"No."

"Go ahead, we don't need you anyway."

Jake and CJ had spoken in unison. Bella tensed at her son's words but turned on her heel and began to walk out of the kitchen. A hot hand grabbed around her waist, hauling her body to his chest with a squeak. Bella's feet were off the ground when Jake turned her around to face the table. She felt like a helpless child, she knew she couldn't fight to get away from Jake, deep down she really didn't want to, but what she was putting her kids through right now just wasn't worth it to her.

Billy's eyes shot to hers, angry and pleading. "You're not leaving, Bella, this may be uncomfortable for you, but we are family and we are going to work this out."

"Are you kidding!" CJ roared, while shooting up from his seat. Pointing a shaking finger at Bella, he sneered, "What do I have to work out with her? I don't want to have anything to do with this leech-lover."

Bella's eyes widened in shock, the words Paul had used against her all those years ago and even at the bonfire the night before had her gasping for breath. He really hated her.

Billy's hand smacked down onto the table so hard Ali flinched right along with Bella, and Jake's grip had tightened once more on her waist. The cups that were full of milk and water sloshed out onto the hardwood surface. "Now you listen to me, young man, this is my house, you hear me, mine, and no one is going to talk to one of my guests that way, do you understand me?" He said, while his own shaking finger pointed in CJ's direction.

"But grandpa!" The tone in his voice had changed from angry to that of a scared little kid putting up a fight.

"No 'but grandpa's this time, CJ. That right there," Billy said, while moving his finger toward Bella, "is your mother, whether you like it or not, right now. She carried you all those months ago and she loved you even before you took your first breath, and you are going to have to suck it up and show some damn respect."

Bella couldn't take her eyes off the scene. CJ was shaking, his skin almost to the point of blurring, Ali was sitting at the table looking at Billy with her mouth hanging open, apparently she had never really dealt with the wrath that was Billy, while Jake stood stock-still, holding onto her for dear life.

Bella patted Jake's hand, signaling to him that she wanted to be put down, and when his grip tightened around her just a little more, she rubbed her hand soothingly across the back of his. With a near silent huff, Jake slowly lowered her to the ground. Turning her back to CJ, she looked up at Jake, but his eyes didn't meet hers. Bella was sure they were trained over her head at CJ.

Cupping his cheeks, Bella tilted his head down toward hers. When he fought, her grip on his face tightened. When his eyes finally scanned down toward hers she could tell that he was angry, but she could see the sadness in his eyes at the same time. _Drop the command, Jake, if he doesn't want to stay don't make him, it'll only make him angrier and I don't want him to be. _When her voice cut into his consciousness, she could feel Jake stiffen for the slightest bit of time, before he relaxed. Looking down at her, he asked her if he was sure with his eyes. Nodding her head, Jake whispered something while looking at CJ once more. As soon as she heard heavy footsteps retreating down the hall she pressed her tear-stained cheeks into Jake's chest her palm flattened beside her face. _Thank you._ Rubbing her wet face across his bare chest really didn't rid her of her tears, but it did allow her to breath in his scent which in return relaxed her enough so that she could turn around and face Billy and Ali.

Ali was sitting in CJ's abandoned seat while Billy had begun eating. Shuffling into her seat she looked at Billy, touching the hand that was sitting idly on the table. "I'm sorry, Billy."

With a deep sigh Billy looked up at her, "Don't be, Bella, CJ isn't ready to deal with things in a responsible manner right now, it reminds me of someone I used to know." Billy said while tilting his head in Jake's direction.

"Hey!" Jake yelled out in mock shock, "I was never that bad."

"I think Sam would beg to differ," Billy said, while chuckling to himself.

The rest of breakfast went by pretty smoothly and quietly, all things considered. Bella listened as Jake talked to Billy about pack business and then to Ali about when her and Leah's next patrol would be.

When breakfast was done, Billy excused himself to the living room to watch a baseball game while Jake dropped a kiss to her forehead and walked out the back door to try and track CJ down. Ali and Bella were left in the kitchen. When Ali began helping Bella clean up the table, Bella smiled. "You don't have to help with the dishes, I can finish this if you have other plans."

Ali looked at Bella through her own curtain of hair, Bella could see the light flush to her cheeks when she smiled, "No plans. Besides, I want to spend time with you."

Bella's body turned to Ali, her mouth opening and closing, shock clearly evident on her face.

"I mean, if… if you want me to, I can leave if you don't want to spend time with me." Ali's voice quivered, and her eyes began to tear at the words.

"What, no… god no, I want to spend time with you, Ali, it's just I didn't think you would want to spend time with me."

Ali's hand shot to her hip, with her foot jutted out, "Are you for real?" she asked, disblief in her tone. "I've been waiting to spend time with you all of my life." Her eyes got wide and her hand slapped over her mouth. "I mean, I knew that you would come back some day, everyone else may have thought different, but I just knew."

"Really?" was all Bella could squeak out.

Ali gave Bella her best Jake smile, "Sure, sure."

The next forty minutes were spent cleaning the dishes, the kitchen, and getting Billy soda from the fridge. When the last dish was washed and dried, Bella threw the rag over her shoulder, wiped the sweat off her brow and leaned back against the cabinet. When Ali walked in from yet another soda delivery she shuffled on her feet and began picking at the loose strand on her own cut-off jean shorts.

"Mo-" Bella's heart rate picked up just enough as she caught Ali's slip, "Bella, can I show you something?"

The warmth that was running through Bella's veins at the near slip had her almost giddy and on edge, she had never had anyone call her Mom and Ali almost had, it left her excited but sad that she didn't actually call her it at the same time.

"You can show me anything, Ali."

"Grandpa, we're going out to Daddy's garage, do you still have that spare key Uncle Embry left for you?" Ali yelled over her shoulder, while rummaging through one of the many junk drawers in the kitchen.

Before Billy could answer, Bella did, "You won't need a key, I kind of smashed the lock last night."

Ali quirked her eyebrow at Bella, shrugged her shoulder and smiled, "Good enough for me."

When they made it to the garage door, Ali tugged it open with little force. Sifting through the layers of dust, she reached under one of the work benches, and pulled out an old lantern. The garage, although lit a little more than last night, was full of shadows, at best, and while Ali could clearly see her way around, Bella was still knocking into things as she went. Reaching into one of the pockets of a hanging apron, Ali pulled out a book of matches.

When the lantern was lit Bella raised an eyebrow to her daughter. Shrugging her shoulders, Ali looked at Bella with a smile on her face. "CJ and Sage used to make out in here before Uncle Embry caught them a while back, and I used to come here a lot too, before Dad found out."

Making her way to the back of the garage, Ali threw a couple of old half-broken boxes off to the side, revealing a trunk; in disbelief, Bella stepped forward, held the lantern out in front of her, and gasped at what she saw. The top of the trunk had eight wolves carved on the front of it, standing in a clearing in the forest. They were her wolves, and this was the trunk Jake had given her as a baby shower gift. The antique latches on the trunk had gained rust on the edges but not on the hinges themselves, and Bella wondered at who might have looked at this trunk and its contents, and just how often.

Falling to her knees in front of the truck, she lowly traced the pad of her finger over Jake's wolf first, and then the rest of the pack; she could feel the tears stinging in the corner of her eyes. Ali was kneeling beside Bella. Reaching in front of her, she gave a questioning glace, and then slowly lifted the lid.

The smell of cedar and paper met Bella's nostrils; she loved the smell of cedar. Heaving in a deep breath, Bella relaxed onto her heels. Looking into the trunk, she noticed it wasn't as full as it was when she had left. She quickly began rummaging through the contents, hastily shoving papers, folders and baby blankets out of her way.

Ali quickly grabbed her arm to halt her movement, and when Bella's eyes shot to hers they were frantic.

"I have them, all of them."

Bella's eyes widened, "You have my books?"

"Yeah. I found this trunk once when Cheyenne and I were playing hide and seek when we were kids. I think I was like nine or ten. I begged Daddy to let us camp out here that night, he let us stay but he stayed outside in wolf form, like I didn't know."

"You knew then, about the pack?"

"Yeah. I mean, Dad said Grandpa Billy and Grandma Sue told us the stories when they were putting us to sleep as kids, and the first time Dad phased around us we were four, and we thought he was a dog. CJ cried when he phased back, because Dad took his dog away from him."

Bella sat there in shock, hearing that her kids had known about the pack since they were kids, "Did the others know too, I mean, did their parents tell them?" Bella wondered out loud.

"No, they didn't tell their kids, and most of them regret it. When CJ and I phased he was just angry, and sure, I freaked out some, but, once it clicked, I knew what was going on, and so I calmed down and I was able to phase back pretty quick. But the others were going nuts, it was a mess."

"How was your Dad able to tell you if he wasn't Alpha until six years ago?"

"He told Uncle Sam that he was going to tell us no matter what, that we weren't his kids and it wasn't any of his business, I guess it helped that half of the council were related to us, ya know."

With a nod Bella let her gaze wander back to the trunk. Skimming over the contents that were laying on top, her eyes landed on a folder that read Forks Community Hospital; picking up the folder, Bella flipped it open. Inside were over a dozen black pieces of film; she knew instantly what the were. "Why are my x-rays in here? Where did Jake get these from?"

Ali chuckled, just softly enough so that Bella could hear her, "Those aren't yours, those are CJ's."

"But... I didn't think. Oh, God, did he get hurt? Did a vampire hurt him?"

"We weren't always wolves, remember?" Ali said with an annoyed sigh.

"When did you change?"

"You weren't listening at the bonfire last night?"

Bella shook her head, because in truth she really wasn't letting herself soak everything in when it came to her kids, and how much everyone had been there for them but her.

"We all changed last year, all of the pups at least. Dad always has a bonfire for our birthday on the beach. CJ was acting funny all day, and that night when we were having the party, Cole said something, and it just set him off. I don't really remember much of anything except him running toward Cole, yelling at him for talking about me that way, and as soon as he jumped he turned into a wolf and next thing you know all of us were wolves except for Cole, I think CJ scared him or something but he phased a couple of seconds after CJ landed on him."

"Are you okay? I mean, nothing bad has happened since then, has there, no one's gotten hurt?"

"We're a pretty big pack, nothing bad has happened."

Looking back through the film Bella held them to the lantern, the light was barely enough to show her each one. There were one of each of his ankles and hands, one of his stomach, which showed a coin- Bella looked to Ali at this, who in return shrugged her shoulders, "He stuck them in his mouth all the time, that one just got swallowed." There were two x-rays of his chest, on one of the x-rays Bella could tell when he was just a baby, her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes shot in Ali's direction once again, "What happened? Is something wrong with him?"

"Dad said they found a heart murmur at his two month appointment, they took the x-ray for tests, but said it wasn't serious. Doesn't really matter, I guess. Now that he's gone wolf, it's gone. He fell out of a tree when he was eleven and they took the other one to see if he had any cracked ribs."

"God, he's so much like me," Bella whispered to herself while shaking her head.

Ali laughed again. "Yeah, he was a real klutz before he phased, he still stumbles around sometimes, but don't tell him I told you that, he'd get pissed."

"Language," Bella whispered, before she realized anything had come out of her mouth, "Oh, sorry," She stuttered out, she hadn't even realized that she was scolding her until it was done.

Ali just smiled, and took the folder from her hands. Sitting it on the couch Ali rummaged through the trunk until she pulled out two small blankets, one was blue and the other purple. "Dad didn't like pink, he would never let me have anything too pink, he said that if he had to have a girl color in the house or on his daughter it was going to be purple."

"My old bedspread was purple."

"I know, I have it," Ali stated, matter-of-factly.

"You have my bedspread?" Bella was shocked that it wasn't torn to shreds or thrown out with the trash after she had disappeared.

"Yeah. Grandpa Charlie gave it to me when he started renting out his house in Forks, I have most of the furniture from your old room in mine."

"He kept it. Dad kept all my furniture?"

"Dad told him he wanted it for me, so he let us have it."

"You wanted my old furniture? Why?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Ali stated sadly. "It was the only thing of yours that I could actually have out in the open that CJ wouldn't try to smash when he saw it."

There was a howl in the distance. Ali stood slowly, while brushing the dirt from her knees, "Well, that's Leah, which means I gotta go do my patrol. Since there are so many of us we only have to go a couple of hours at a time. I'll be back later…" There was a pause, as Ali stood at the door, her feet shuffling back and forth, "...Mom." Bella blinked her shock away as she watched Ali leaving her. When her eyes opened the door to the garage stood ajar, the light streaming in; Ali was gone. Bella could feel the tears leak out of her eyes, but she was smiling because one of her kids had actually spent a couple of hours with her and hadn't tried to kill her or make her suffer for her absence.

Twenty minutes later Bella had successfully dragged the oversized cedar trunk to the front of the garage. Sitting on an old milk crate, she began rooting through the trunk once more. All of the pictures that were on her wall in her old bedroom had been stuffed in there, bound by a rubber band; flipping through the pictures, Bella smiled at the memories, memories of when her life was so easy and carefree. As she flipped through the pictures Bella didn't see any of her and Jake, nor none from the times when she was at La Push when Jake was trying to make her whole again, and there were none of the pictures she had from when they were kids. She frowned, hoping that he hadn't thrown them away, some of those pictures were the only one she had of her and Charlie and Renee before the divorce happened. One in particular she hoped hadn't gotten lost; it had been one of Sarah holding Jacob as he slept in her lap on First Beach.

Wrapping the band back around the pictures, Bella reached into the trunk and found a plastic zip-loc bag. Inside it was a shiny quarter. She threw her head back and laughed, laughed harder than she had in forever. Bella was laughing so hard and so loud that Billy could hear her through the open windows of his house, and the wolf that was stalking out of the woods slowly paused with a lupine smile on his lips, at hearing its mate's laughter; it was something he had never thought he would hear ever again. The wolf phased, and still as slowly and quietly as he could he walked to the door of the garage.

Looking in, he saw Bella sitting on a milk crate, her back to him her shoulders quaking with laughter. He could see one of her arms wrapped around her stomach, smell the salty scent of her tears. This time, though, Jake caught himself smiling instead of worrying. He stood there watching her, her head flung back with a deep throaty laugh, and he could see her hand make its way up to her eyes to brush the tears away. Just as Jake would think she was going to stop laughing she would topple forward clutching her stomach, and the laughing fit would start all over again. He too would smile.

There was movement behind him. Embry and Quil were walking out of the woods, tying their cut-off pants to their ankles. As they stepped up to the garage door, Bella had just begun another bout of laughter. Quil and Embry looked at Jake, confusion written on their faces.

"Dude, I think she went crazy, she sounds like a hyena."

"What's going on with her, man?"

Jake just shrugged his shoulders, worried that even speaking low enough for Embry and Quil to hear would catch her attention. The two smiled at that. Caught in the middle of a laughing fit Bella didn't realize that that she was leaning to the side far enough for the milk crate to begin tipping. When she threw her head back again the milk crate toppled to the side, taking Bella with it. Jake was just about to run to her when Embry's hand held him back. The moment of silence was broken when Bella roared with laughter once again.

Quil's eyes widened, and as he looked at Jake he moved his finger in a circular motion around his temple, "Loco, for sure. You know how to pick 'em, Alpha."

The slap couldn't be helped, really, sometimes Quil just needed to learn how to shut up. The sound of the crack against the back of a werewolf skull sent Bella scrambling to her feet. Her laughter froze in her throat, her chest was still heaving from lack of breath, her hands were fisted at her stomach, the three wolves could see the tear tracks running down her face and the wet dots on her t-shirt.

"Hey, Ed," Quil called out, just before the elbow connected with his gut.

"I told you, she's not crazy," Jake gritted out.

"Damn. Easy, man, I was just joking." Quil tried to stand straight up, but the pain that was still shooting through his gut hadn't lessened.

Bella's head was cocked to the side as she looked at Quil. "Why did you call me Ed?"

"Don't worry about it, Bells, Quil is still the same idiot he used to be."

"Hey, why so harsh, man?"

Jake took two steps toward Bella, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "You find something funny in that thing, Bells?"

Bella's body jerked in silent laughter, her lips split into another huge smile.

"Here she goes again," Quil said, while bumping his elbow into Embry's forearm.

Knowing to keep silent, Embry looked at Quil and shook his head; he really _didn't_ know when to shut up.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, there was a blur, and Jake had Quil in a headlock, and the two were wrestling around on the damp ground. Jake of course wasn't using his Alpha strength on Quil, but he still had the upper hand. As the two wrestled in the grass and cussed at each other Embry walked over to Bella, bumping her with his hip, "Just like old times, huh?" Bella's smiled turned into a frown, and she nodded sadly.

"So, uh, what did you find?" Embry blurted out, not wanting her to be sad because of something he said.

Once again the smile spilt Bella's face, and she jerked her arm out toward Embry. He too couldn't help but let out a throaty chuckle, stopping the two who were fighting on the ground.

"Is that what I think that is?" Quil asked in disbelief, while trying to untangle his head from Jake's hold.

Jake's head fell back onto the soft ground.

Laughter rang out between the two wolves as Jake lay sprawled behind them, "I can't believe you kept that, Jake! Did you dig through his crap to keep it? That's just sick, dude, sick."

Jake was on his feet, once again barreling toward Quil, when Quil quickly grabbed Bella and pulled her in front of him. Bella's squeak of surprise stopped Jake in his tracks.

Bella noticed that Jake's face was red, and she knew that it was not from the wrestling. Jerking the Zip-loc bag toward Jake, Bella smiled. "Is this really the quarter CJ swallowed, you really saved it?"

Jake's hand shot to the back of his neck, another flush of pink just barely made its way to his cheeks when Embry and Quil roared with laughter once again. Jake postured toward Quil, embarrassment evident on his face, "Hey, you don't even have kids, what do you know?"

Embry chuckled, drawing Jake's attention towards him, "I never saved all those marbles Sage stuck up her nose."

It was a losing battle, Jake knew, so he turned his attention back to Bella, "Yeah, Bells, that's the quarter, how'd you know about that, anyway, or about the trunk?"

"Ali brought me out here, showed me this stuff. I haven't gotten very far, though."

"How'd you get it to the door, honey, that thing must weigh a ton?"

With a puff of breath, Bella blew one of her curls out of her sight, "It took me twenty minutes to drag it out here just so that I could see in it."

The three laughed once again, "There's a breaker out back, all you had to do was flip the switch."

"Well, of course there would be a breaker, wouldn't there," Aggravation clearly etched its way into her tone.

The three stood staring at each other, before Embry and Quil mumbled that they had to get home before their women got mad. As they walked out the door Jake bent over, picking up the chest like it was light as a feather, and slowly walked it to one of the work benches. Pulling a cord on one of the overhead lights, Jake patted a rusty bar stool, signaling for Bella to sit. Jake then walked out the door, leaving Bella to sit in darkness, until she heard a snap, and then the hum of the light above her head; slowly the room was filled with light.

When the garage was fully lit, Bella stood and started sifting through the trunk once more. Fingering the little things like pacifiers, teething rings and even two small diapers from when the kids were tiny, made Bella smile. She found another stack of pictures, and these had tissue paper in between them; they ranged from Ali and CJ when they were tiny babies, to them standing at the wood line alongside of Jake, and who Bella remembered as Embry's wolf. Flipping through them, Bella's heart warmed when she saw a picture of Ali in a tribal costume dancing in the streets of La Push, the next picture was CJ and he was missing a front tooth, a huge smile lit up on his face. He was on one knee in a football uniform, with his helmet tucked under his arm. The front of the uniform read Black's Auto. He had done it, everything Jake had said he was going to do he did. Bella was so proud of him in that moment.

Digging through the trunk, Bella sucked in a breath, when her hands hit the smooth wood of a baby rattle. One had Ali's name carved in it, the other side had the pack carved in it. Turning the rattle over, Bella heard the noise from the inside and she couldn't help but wonder who had made it. When she shoved more things over, a couple of baby blankets were moved out of the way, she found another; this one was CJ's. Picking them both up, Bella was impressed with the wood work, the handles weren't straight and smooth, but the wood was cut almost perfectly to fit a tiny little palm. CJ's rattle was a darker wood than Ali's.

"Dad made those for us." Bella's back stiffened at the sound of a voice, but soon she relaxed realizing it was Ali's. "Most of the furniture in the new house he made too."

Bella's head whipped around in shock, she remembered the dream catcher that Jake had made her and the wolf from all those years ago. Looking back into the truck she hadn't seen them; she couldn't help but wonder where they were.

"He makes furniture?"

Ali walked up to Bella and pulled the stool out from the bench. "Oh yeah, he made all kinds of stuff for the house, the pack helped too, but Dad's really good."

"What kind of things did he make for your house?"

Ali tapped her lips, "The mantel for the fireplace, the kitchen table and the counter, the pack helped him drag fallen trees out of the forest, he made me a trunk kind of like this one, and CJ a couple of book shelves for his room. He used driftwood logs to make his bed."

Bella was shocked at hearing of Jake's talents, but really why would she be? Even back then, the fact that his large hands could have made something as small and intricate as the wolf should have been proof enough that Jake had more talent than just repairing cars.

"Why are you telling me all of this? Even talking to me?" Bella's doubt was getting the better of her, she honestly didn't know why Ali was being so kind to her; Seth, Charlie and Sue she could understand, that's just who they were. But of all the people to be mad at her, hate her even, Bella thought her kids and Jake had every right.

"I was never mad at you," Ali whispered in reply. "Not ever. I always had this feeling deep down that you would come back. CJ always told me that it was wishful thinking, that I should just give up, but every year I would wait for you at the house in Forks. Dad told me about the tree you used to sit and read under. On our birthday I'd go there and wait for you. CJ came with me for a couple of years, but then he just stopped, but I never lost hope that you'd come back. I guess I was right, you came back. I can't be mad at you because something I knew would happen one day did, and even though I haven't seen my Dad much since you've been back," Ali said, a knowing look in her eyes which caused Bella to blush. "Even though he hasn't been around the last couple of days, I can tell that he is happy. Everyone can, it's the whole pack-bond thing. I couldn't be mad at you for making him as happy as he is."

"If he wasn't happy that I was back, would we still be sitting here?" Bella wasn't sure if she wanted the answer to the question, but from what Ali said, the main reason she was talking to Bella was Jake.

"Yeah, we would. You're my mom, and I want to know you no matter what anyone else feels about it. I always wanted to know you. I'll make my own decisions on who to trust and like or not."

"You're a lot like your Dad, you know, he always had faith in me even when others didn't."

Just then, Ali's stomach rumbled. Bella carefully put the rattles back into the trunk and shut the lid, "What do you say we get lunch, I bet Billy is getting hungry by now."

After Bella had made lunch and ate with Billy and Ali, Charlie had come to pick Billy up for some afternoon fishing, while Ali went to hang out on the beach with CJ and Sage. Bella considered walking back out to the old garage to finish looking through the trunk, but she chose to take a walk instead.

Bella found herself standing at the foot of Emily and Sam's steps; she couldn't hear anything going on in the house and she wondered if there was anyone there. When she picked her foot up to walk up the steps, a voice made her jump and wheel around.

"She's in the backyard, working in the garden."

Bella was clutching her chest and panting. Sam was standing beside his truck, in a pair of worn greasy jeans, with a uniform t-shirt that read Black's Auto on one side and Sam on the other.

Sam watched, as Bella's eyes scanned his chest back and forth between his name tag and the logo of Jake's shop.

"We've been open for about ten years now."

Bella bobbed her head up and down, still not taking her eyes off his shirt, "Do all of you work there?"

"Nope," Sam said, popping the P. "Seth and Quil work out of Jake's garage, he's been doing wood-working out of there for a few years now; it keeps them pretty busy. Paul, as you know, works on the force with Charlie, while Leah works at the pharmacy that Ryder owns in Forks. And me, Embry, Jared, Collin and Brady all work with Jake down at the shop. CJ works there too sometimes."

"Bella," Emily's voice called from beside them. Both she and Sam turned toward Emily, who was quickly walking toward them while tearing her mud-stained gloves from her hands. Emily raced up to Bella and grabbed her in a hug, "It's been so long! Come in, come in, I have muffins and cookies from the oven, they just got done."

Bella smiled at the familiarity of it, and Emily's muffins were some of the best on the Rez. Once inside the house, Bella and Emily sat down at the old worn wooden table, while Sam went upstairs to get a shower. As they were sitting at the table Emily shared with Bella her past. Bella learned that Sam was trying to stop phasing, along with some of the other older wolves, and while the vampire activity was nothing like it was years ago they were still around, which made it hard for them all to stop. Emily told Bella that Angela had opened a bakery and catering company in Forks, and that she and Rachel worked there and they loved their jobs, but that things had been really picking up, making things somewhat hectic. She told Bella that Jake took over Alpha when she had gotten a serious case of pneumonia and was in the hospital for a month and it was too hard on Sam, so Jake took on the role in his place.

Sam came down from the loft in just his jean shorts; leaning over the back of Emily's chair he dropped a kiss to her scars and one to her awaiting lips. Bella couldn't tear her eyes away from their display; in all these years it seemed that the bond between the two had only grown, making them stronger.

Sam looked up at Bella, who was still watching them, and cleared his throat. "Jake wants you to meet him back at Billy's in a little while, we are going to leave for the meeting with the Cullens soon."

Bella's body froze, her heart began frantically beating in her chest, "They're here? They're back, all of them?"

Sam seemed at a loss for words, at her reaction to the news that they were meeting with the Cullens. "Didn't Jake tell you, he said he told you that you had to meet them today."

"Why do they want to meet with the pack?"

Sam scratched the back of his neck, "It's in the treaty, whenever they come back we have to have a meeting with them. We need to see if anyone else has joined their coven and they need to see how the pack has grown. It's better for the pack, the pups at least, if they're on patrol, they're going to need to know who is the enemy and who's a Cullen."

As Bella was walking back to Billy's house, she could see Jake sitting on the steps of the porch looking in her direction; he watched her every move. Bella could feel his stare boring into her, as she moved closer to him. When she got within reaching distance Jake's hand shot out, grabbing her by the belt loop in her jeans, and pulled her into his lap. "You okay, honey? Your heart's hammering away in there."

Bella nodded her head into his neck, but she didn't move away. His grip tightened around her waist and he shifted her so that she was straddling his lap. Pulling back, Jake cupped Bella's cheeks in his hands and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it really didn't work. Bella could feel his own hands shaking, which only added to her worry.

"Bells, you know if I didn't have to do this, I wouldn't. But they're back, and the big one-,"

_"Emmett_," Bella interrupted.

"Emmett- he said they were coming back, and that they would want to see you to make sure that you are okay. We can't not take you and start things off wrong with them."

"I know, Jake, and I'm sorry that I brought them back here. Seeing all these kids, our kids, knowing they phased, it makes me worry that them being back is only going to make things worse."

"I don't know if it will or not, honey, and maybe they won't stay, but you're happy here, right, you don't want to go back to them? You don't want them to stay, do you?"

It hurt Bella, that there was even the slightest quiver in his voice when had asked that question. Did he really doubt that she was back for good?

"Jake," Bella pulled his face closer to hers, "I don't want to go anywhere ever again; I need you to realize that, the only place that I want to be, for the rest of my life, is right here, with you. I don't want to be with them. I've been with them long enough. I don't want to be away from you or my family and friends ever again, you need to understand that there's nothing that could make me leave you ever again, nothing."

Jake turned his head and kissed the palm of Bella's right hand. He smiled. "Okay, honey." He still didn't sound reassured, though.

Gritting her teeth, Bella jerked Jake's face back toward her own. "Not okay, Jake." _You need to know that you are the only one that I want to be with, and no one else._ Her palms gripped his face harder, pushing her emotions towards him, the relief and happiness she felt the moment when she thought it was him before CJ attacked her, the love and desire she felt when he had met her at the Cullen's that night, the pain she felt when Jake had walked away from her when she told him about Thomas, the relief when he came back for her, the panic she felt when he wanted to put her down last night to phase, and the hurt when he told her he couldn't stay last night with her. Then the overwhelming calming feeling she had, last night as she slept, the confusion she had behind the calm feeling, the utter joy she felt when she woke up this morning to find herself wrapped up in his body. She showed him everything, every emotion she'd felt since she came back.

_Don't you see, Jake, all I am living for right now is you and the kids, and nothing will ever make me want to leave you ever again._

Jake shook his head, while softly grabbing her hands from his face. He kissed each palm and then her lips, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug, "I know, honey," Jake whispered into her hair.

Bella felt the wolves before she heard them, she wasn't sure why, but ever so slowly they began making their way out of the woods into Billy's front yard. When CJ and Ali came from the side of the house, Bella felt an overwhelming sense of home cover her like a blanket. Once all the wolves were standing in a tight circle around her and Jake, he stood, placing Bella on her feet beside him.

Just before he spoke Bella felt her skin prickle, and the hair on her arms stand on end, the heat that was coming off of Jake's arms seemed to grow hotter, and she could feel a slight vibration coming off of him. Standing at his full height, Jake took a breath in preparation, "We're meeting the Cullens in the same clearing we were in last night, they want to meet all of the pack. I want each of the pups standing behind their parents once we get there, and I'm placing an order for none of the pups to phase."

"I'm not having my kids' only defense taken away from them, Jake." Paul ground out, while moving to stand in front of Will and Tanner.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Jake took a step forward, "Would you rather them phase and attack a Cullen and start a war? They've never been around this many vampires at once, you know it could happen, Paul."

Paul's lip rose just slightly, showing his teeth, before Jake growled a warning low in his throat, "I know what I'm doing, Paul. My kids are going to be right there, too, nothing is going to happen to them. Just keep them behind you, and let me deal with the Cullens."

With that the she-wolves walked into the woods, while the rest of the pack stayed at the front porch, waiting for them to phase. There was a low yip from behind the house. The pack moved as one toward the backyard. Bella stopped, when she saw Leah, Ali and another wolf facing the house. Walking over to the stoop, Bella sat down, and waited for Jake to return. The wolf Bella thought was Ali walked over and nudged her to get up, and once standing the wolf nudged her again toward the woods.

Stepping into the woods, Bella's breath caught. The wolves were dotted all over - the pack was huge, just as Ali had told her. All of them were standing in the same V formation they had been in the night before. With another push from Ali, Bella bumped into Jake's snout. With a jerk of his wolfy head, Jake lowered himself to the ground. Bella let her hand run between his ears to the scruff of his neck, before gripping on the fur and throwing her leg over Jake's back; he grunted. "Very funny, Jake." He and a couple of the wolves behind him snorted at Bella's reaction.

Laying her body flat against his back, she jerked his fur before yelling 'Giddy up!,' which earned her another shared snort between him and the other wolves.

Jake stood then, and bounded off into the woods. At first, Bella was shocked at Jake's speed, the last time she had rode through the woods on Jake he was fast, but not this fast, and when Bella actually paid attention, the height difference from then and now was huge. As they were flying through the woods, Bella turned her head to the left, and she saw Leah's smooth form running right alongside them, and her ears were pressed tight to her head. Bella could clearly see the muscles working in her legs as she pushed her body forward.

When Jake slowed to a trot, Bella thought they were close, but then he hunkered down and sprung, the feeling of weightlessness made Bella yelp and squeeze her eyes shut. It was only when they landed, and she felt drops of water on her face, that she open her eyes. They had just crossed a creek, which meant that they were close. She wondered, then, if the Cullens would be there waiting for them, or if the pack was going to get there ahead of time. She worried about what Jake's reaction was going to be, when he saw Edward, what Emmett's reaction was going to be when he saw her.

Jake stopped, and he lowered himself to the ground so that Bella could climb off. He waited for the other wolves to go into the woods and phase before he pushed her toward Embry and his kids with his snout. Jake walked out of the woods, wearing a pair of basketball shorts and no shoes. As he made his way over to Bella, CJ and Ali broke away from the other pups and made their way toward her as well. Bella took a deep breath as she watched her kids walking toward her. CJ walked with the same confidence Jake had, and Ali... the way Ali walked reminded of her of how Alice would seem to float along the ground.

Jake stood beside Bella; he threw an arm over her shoulder as he faced the pack. At Jake's stare, they formed the V Bella was quickly becoming familiar with. When she took note, she realized the wolves were in formation, by rank: Leah to Jake's left, Embry to his right, their kids standing beside them, while Sam and Paul stood in front of their kids, and Jared with his kids then Quil behind them. Seth stood behind Jared, with Collin and Brady beside him.

The hairs on Bella's skin began to raise once again, and the heat coming off of Jake increased; looking at Jake, she knew he was going to give the command before the words slipped from his lips. "None of the pups, including you, Collin and Brady, are to phase, unless I say so."

Bella could see their shoulders slump at the command, but just as quickly they stood back at full height. They hadn't been standing in the clearing long before Collin and Brady started growling. All heads snapped toward the sound, and the entire pack shifted in that direction, with Jake standing at the front. He quickly placed his hand on Bella's hip, and shoved her behind his back.

Bella watched with wide eyes, as the Cullens slowly made their way to the middle of the clearing. Carlisle stood in the front, with Esme at his side, and the couples followed them. Emmett and Rosalie were first, and holding hands. They both were looking in Jake's direction; Bella knew they were searching for her. She noticed that behind Emmett walked Edward, his head almost hung low, not wanting to make eye contact with her. Bella didn't blame him. It had been a long time since she had actually looked at Edward, and even then she couldn't help but be on the verge of panic. On either side of Edward were Alice and Jasper. Alice was nearly dancing in place, trying to keep her cool, while Jasper had a pained look on his face, no doubt from Edward's emotions.

Bella could feel Jake's temperature spike, and his grip on her hip tightened, but at the same time he pulled her nearly flush with his back. Jake's soft growl was a full-on snarl, at this point, and Bella knew then that he had caught sight of Edward as well. Looking to the side, Bella realized that Jake wasn't the only one snarling at the sight of Edward. They all knew by now, that he had broken the treaty, even if it had been done to save Bella's life. What was done was done, and now there was no taking it back.

The Cullens had stopped some twenty feet from the pack of wolves, and all were standing in a line. Jasper's eyes were darting around, almost faster than she could follow them, while both Alice and Emmett shifting back and forth, and Edward and Rosalie stood frozen, not really looking at anything.

"Your numbers have grown drastically, since the last time we were in Forks," Carlisle said, breaking the silence. "I've also noticed that you, Jake, have taken your rightful place as Alpha amongst this pack." He stated, his golden eyes fixed on Jacob.

Jake nodded his head in a yes response. He was still shaking, and Bella's grip on his forearm was so tight that her knuckles began to turn white against his russet skin.

"You might want to calm yourself, mutt, before you get her hurt." All eyes, including Carlisle's, snapped to Edward, at his words.

"What did you say to me?" Jake spat, while taking a step forward and dragging Bella along with him.

Edward's eyes didn't meet Jake's, they were still focused on the trees beyond the pack. "I said you might want to calm yourself, before you get her hurt."

"You want to talk to me about hurting her? Are you sure that's something you really want to do?"

"All that matters is her safety."

"Her safety?" Jake roared out. "You are the one that bit her over and over for a year, and you want to talk about safety! Your venom is still in her and she is sick because of it, sick because of you!" Jake said, thrusting a finger at Edward.

Leah stepped forward, snarling, "You broke the treaty, you shouldn't even be here right now."

Alice dropped into a fighting stance, while hissing at Leah; the wolves began growling at the threat.

Bella fought her way out of Jake's grip, his fingers ripping her shirt as she went. She stepped in front of Jake and threw her hands out to each side, shielding him. "Stop! This is not what we're here for. Edward did break the treaty, we all know that, but he saved me, too. If he hadn't done what he did I wouldn't be here today." Turning to Jake, she shoved her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie, "Are you going to punish him for saving my life, Jake, is that what you're going to do?"

Jake's eyes darted between Bella's questioning ones and Edward's form. He walked past her, hand outstretched toward Edward, and when Edward's eyes snapped to Jake's he too took a step forward. There was a collective gasp behind Jake as he went; the surprise from the pack was obvious to everyone there.

When they were close enough to touch, Jake's outstretched hand quickly balled into a fist; faster than Edward could move, it connected with his jaw. The surprise attack had sent Edward falling to his side, and as Alice rushed forward, Jasper caught her around the waist, stopping her from attacking; Embry was able to stop Leah just in time as well.

Jake stood over Edward, shaking out his now broken knuckles. "It's a truce, from now on, but it will be written that you are to never under any circumstance bite a human again, if you do and we find out about it, we will kill you once and for all."

Edward nodded his head, while slowly making his way back to his feet. Bella could see the anger burning in his eyes at the surprise attack, and his eyes grew darker as Leah spoke.

"I thought you were the one that could read minds. You didn't see that one coming, leech?"

"It was a split-second decision, mutt," Edward sneered in her direction.

Leah began fighting again in Embry's grasp.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but we seem to be getting nowhere. Now, if you don't mind, can we move along with the introductions?" Carlisle stated calmly, while Esme nodded her head in agreement.

"Leah," Bella could feel the deep bass coming from Jake's voice, and her body immediately stopped fighting. Satisfied, Jake turned back to face Carlisle. "As you said before, the pack has grown drastically since you last left. We are still having a problem with nomads in the area; we haven't had anyone phase in over a year, but all the younger ones you see here had phased at the same time."

Esme shook her head sadly, while walking toward Jake, "We are truly sorry that the presence of our kind keeps causing your youth to transform."

Jake crossed his arms back over his chest, and nodded his head, "We can tell that your numbers haven't changed."

"No, our coven is the same size as it has been." Carlisle stated, while fanning his hand to his side.

"I don't know the best way to go about doing this, the younger pack members need to know your scent so they don't accidentally attack while on patrol if they run into one of you in the woods. They know the lines marked out by the treaty, but since you have been gone we have been running the border of the reservation and Forks."

"What, you want to walk by and sniff us out like the dogs that you are?" Rosalie said, while flicking dirt from her nail toward Jake.

Bella felt his body tense, and then he slowly relaxed. "Well it was your idea, Blondie, unless you would rather get attacked in the woods while you're out killing Bambi."

"It sounds reasonable enough, if you agree and are comfortable, Jacob; I think it would be best if we were able to recognize your pack as well."

"They all smell like wet dog to me," Rosalie muttered under her breath.

As the wolves slowly began moving out of the V behind Jake, Ali and CJ were the only ones left, when they both looked at Jake he nodded his head while grabbing Bella's hand. Lacing his fingers with hers, he slowly started walking toward the Cullens.

Then, in the next instant, everything changed.

Looking into his eyes, Ali's world shifted. Instantly, her heart felt like it was in a vice, the pressure on her chest was like one she had never known. It was painful, but at the same time if felt so right; warmth was washing over her body, like a slow wave lapping at the shore, and when her body lurched forward, she found relief from the pain then ever so slowly had created the vice-like grip on her heart. The pain turned into cables, cables that were soon reaching out toward the man her eyes were now locked on.

Ali couldn't help what her body was doing, all she knew was that the closer she got to him the less tension on her heart. Her eyes never left his, as she moved forward; it was then that she noticed him moving toward her as well. This was it he was her imprint, her reason for existing, her soul mate, she could have sworn that she had whispered it, but the blood pumping in her ears drowned everything out, even the growls coming from her pack; the command from her Alpha to stop had also gone unnoticed.

He, too, was in a trance, and he couldn't hear Jasper gasping for unnecessary breath as he clutched the spot on his chest where a beating heart should have been, nor the panicked screams from Alice as she ran toward her mate to help him. He couldn't feel Emmett's arm grabbing his own, trying to stop his pursuit toward the girl that looked so much like Bella. When they were in reaching distance, he noticed her hand moving toward his face; sucking in a breath he didn't need, he smiled at the familiar scent as he closed his eyes, and waited.

**!STOP!**

**The imprint will be explained first thing in the next chapter, so please no hate reviews. As for other things, my daughter had a chest x-ray when they found out about her heart murmur, and there was a Lion King reference in this chapter, did anyone catch it? If not here is a link for you to watch http:/ / yhZ0TKdgJGg **


	22. Chapter 20

**A/N: I am going to try something different at the beginning of this chapter, I hope it's ok. There's just so much going on here that I want you to see it through a couple different perspectives. So sorry that this chapter took so long to get out, but CJ was really kicking my ass and had a Beta switch.**

**Chapter 20**

Bella's world stood still as she watched her daughter imprint on her vampire ex-boyfriend. The two seemed absolutely oblivious as they made their way toward each other. The pack to Bella's left were snarling and screaming at her to stop. Jake had already once grabbed a hold of her arm and tried to jerk her back, but the pull of the imprint was to strong, she had shrugged him off like he was a mere pest. She stood watching as Jasper writhed on the ground grabbing his chest while Alice shrieked on in horror for Edward to stop. Emmett had since given up trying to get him to stop moving toward her, but it didn't mean that the wolves had. CJ had shoved Jared and Paul out of the way and stepped in front of Ali hoping to block her or break the trance that the imprint was having on her. Her eyes stayed locked with Edward's anyway, as she easily side-stepped her brother.

* * *

Jasper had never felt anything like this before. He was taking in the sight before him. The pack he, took note, was larger than some of the vampire armies that he had once fought. He could feel the hate coming from each and every one of them with the exception of the Alpha and Bella, there was something else there, tingling in the back of his brain, and when they touched it would slowly start to ignite. He scanned the pack as they made their way toward them, taking in their features figuring the best way to take down each one. They were the enemy; he wouldn't do it any other way. He was taking in the boy that looked exactly like the Alpha when he heard a small gasp. Only seconds later his chest seemed to nearly explode. The pressure in his chest was one like he had never felt before. The love and devotion coming off Ali was hitting him over and over again so hard and fast that he continued to stumble back and, for once, wished he didn't have the power he had. It was painful, and the feeling stunned Jasper causing him to collapse. It was odd that he could almost feel a heartbeat slamming in his chest the closer Ali got to his brother. Sure, he had felt connections when other vampires had met their mates or were having intimate moments with them, but this this was overwhelming. The comparison between the two was astounding, vampire mating and bonding was a mere blip on a huge radar when it came to this. He didn't know what it was, he didn't care, he just wanted it to stop. He hadn't been in this much pain since his own transformation.

* * *

Edward stood by with shock that matched the wolves' written all over his face. Over and over again he heard the chant in her head… imprint…mine…imprint… imprint…mine…imprint. The thoughts were running through her head at such a rapid pace even he couldn't keep up with them.

He didn't dare look away from the small girl that looked so much like Bella walking toward him. He didn't really know what to do or think or even feel for that matter. He belonged to someone in that moment; someone wanted him and he wondered, _would it be so bad to want someone too?_

* * *

Once Ali was standing in front of Edward she took him in, the open button down shirt which revealed a tighter t-shirt and his designer jeans. He looked nothing like the pack; his skin was as white as a piece of paper, his eyes the color of honey, his hair wasn't short cropped nor was it black, it was wild, bronze and dirty looking. The crooked grin he wore allowed his slightly sharper and pointed teeth to show. He was nothing like any other guy that she had been attracted to before; if anything he was someone that she would have simply walked by on any given day. The pale white of his skin seemed to call to her, she could feel her hand lifting, her palm flattening out; she just wanted to touch him. She wondered if her imprint was going to be anything like Leah's. Would she feel that zap of electricity once her skin made contact with his? Would it solidify the bond between the two?

As her hand slowly made its way higher he closed his eyes, dragging in a deep breath. She could see his nostrils flare, the breath wasn't necessary she knew; he was smelling her-taking her in. She did the same thing. She found it odd that she could still smell the sweet reeking rot of vampire all around her, but his smell was different; it wasn't overpowering or sickening at all, it was almost earthly, like the leaves in the fall. It surprised her more than anything that his scent was different to her.

When her hand was hovering over his cheek she could feel the extreme temperature difference between the two. As the frigid cold that was radiating off his cheek met the overly heated air that was coming from her hand it was as if each had hit a wall. Then slowly the two began blending, she knew he could feel the heat from her hand as his face slowly tipped toward it. He wanted her to touch him.

Ever so slowly her hand inched toward his cheek. The second the pad of her finger touched his marble skin the world around her imploded. She was blinded by a white light. Held there against her will she couldn't move back from him, couldn't peel her hand off his face. The electrical current between the two was terrifying and nothing like what Leah had experienced. Then the cables that were once pulling her toward him slowly began to jerk back and fray; one by one they began snapping, slowly at first then picking up speed. Her body felt like it was floating until the last cord that held the two broke. As soon as the tension from that last cord was released Ali and Edward were both sent flying backwards in opposite directions. Edward hit a tree while Ali seemed to skid backward on her knees.

* * *

The pain that Jasper had felt before was gone in a flash. All that remained was a blanket of shock that replaced all the wolves' anger and the panic from his own family. There was nothing coming from Edward or the girl, the pain in his chest had vanished into thin air. It was as though it had never existed.

* * *

As the shock wore off, Edward pushed the now fallen tree off his back. When his eyes located the girl in front of him he couldn't see her face. She was on her hands and knees in the dirt, her head hung low, he could hear her panting, her back arching up with every breath she took, and her arms were shaking, the curtain of hair almost brushing the ground. Slowly he could hear it, the stream of thoughts returning to her mind, the chant was back this time it was different. .. _He is… he was… Imprint… was imprint….imprint broken…broken... broken… free… free… Oh my god I'm free._

* * *

Ali had never had anything against imprinting. In fact, after reliving Leah's experience with her more than a dozen times while on patrol with her, Ali had thought she had something to look forward to. There was always this lingering doubt in the back of her mind though. What if she wanted to find someone on her own? Every couple that she knew that were imprinted were still happy to this day, but she thought it odd that the imprint itself seemed to govern their emotions. Paul-the hot head of the group-was almost not himself around Rachel. They would get mad and they would fight but there was always something there between the two. Rachel would give Paul a look in the heat of the argument and then it would just be over, it was like all was forgotten. It worked, though for them and the others, it wasn't as though they were taking advantage, but it wasn't like they were a normal couple either. When normal couples would fight the man would sleep on the couch, they would be angry and then they would work out their problems; it wasn't like they would just disappear. It was one thing Ali didn't really like about imprinting.

As she tried to catch her breath she couldn't stop the chant in her mind that she was free from the imprint and that the imprint was broken. Looking to her left she could see Bella shaking as she stood wide eyes turned in the direction of the vampires, just then she was grabbed up into two hot arms, her head instantly went onto her fathers shoulder, "It broke, the imprint… Dad?"

Jake hugged Ali tighter to his body he could feel her shaking, as she lay curled in his arms, "Shh honey, I know. Its OK Ali we'll figure this out, you're going to be OK kid."

"Is she alright, she isn't hurt is she?" Edward's smooth voice cut through the darkness.

"She's fine, no thanks to you. Why don't leave now leech, you've done enough." It was CJ who was standing in human form blocking both Jake and Ali from Edward's stare.

The rest of the pack had slowly begun to work their way around the three. The shock of what had just happened wearing off. The imprint itself making every wolf halt, the breaking of said imprint making them freeze in shock.

Sam looked at Jake, the question on his tongue. He didn't know if he should ask it, being a member of the council witnessing what had just occurred, he wasn't sure what he should do. "They need to know what happened Jake, all of it." With a nod of his head Jake dismissed him. Sam looked at Seth and jerked his head toward his kids. He then turned toward the woods and phased, while Seth took place in front of Will and Tanner.

A chocking sound gained Jake's attention and that's when he saw Bella. Her hands were tightly clasped around each other, the wringing motion had her knuckles turning white. He could see her skin slowly start to pale, her eyes, still wide in horror, were locked onto Edward. His eyes were still locked on Ali. Jake growled low in his chest causing Edward's eyes to snap to his, "She's happy, relieved the imprint is broken, she's free."

"Stay out of her head lee-" his sentence caught in his throat as a growl worked its way out when he caught movement out of the corner of his left eye. Emmett was slowly making his way toward Bella. Jake's stare stopped him only for a second though before he lifted his foot and took another slow step toward Bella. The rumble in Jake's chest roused Ali from her exhaustion. Her grip tightened on Jake's neck and she sighed trying to regain her energy.

When Emmett took another step toward Bella, not taking his eyes off of her, CJ darted toward her, grabbing her arm he pulled Bella behind his back while snarling at Emmett, "Don't… you dare… come near her." He grit out with malice. "If you touch her again I will end you right here."

Emmett hissed at CJ while Rose flashed to his side. The movement caused all wolves to bend down ready to attack. CJ, on the other hand, pulled Bella closer to his back, and snarled at him. He had every intention of snapping his arm out and tearing Emmett's head off, but in the back of his mind he wondered if he really could in human form. It was then that he cursed Jake for taking away his ability to phase. These leeches were never going to touch his mother again if he had any say in it.

Jake stood clutching Ali in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to go to Bella and protect her, but the fact that CJ was doing it had him and most of the rest of the pack stunned. Since Bella's return the entire pack hadn't escaped his thoughts of Bella, the anger that he had toward her that was almost bordering on hate. It seemed more often than not he thought of ways he could just get her to leave, but here in this moment he was keeping her safe. Jake saw Edward's head tilt the side his eyes boring into CJ, Jake knew what he was doing, and it pissed him off.

"Stay out of his head leech," Jake yelled trying to gain Edwards attention.

"Emmett you might want to step back, the child is hardly keeping his anger in check. He's actually wondering if he can rip your head off un-phased. He's very protective of his mother all of a sudden."

Emmett let out a low whistle while wrapping his arms over his chest. "You think he could do it Edward?"

"I think he's very close to trying."

Emmett backed a few paces away from the pair, taking Rose with him. "You might want to do something about that kid. If you let her go she's going to have an attack and it really isn't pretty when that happens," he stated while pointing at Bella.

CJ's head turned just enough to see Bella. He could feel her shaking behind him, what little heat was in her hand before was gone; it felt like he was clutching a block of ice. Anger flashed inside of him, he _had_ seen it when she lost it. The leeches didn't know. He knew the pack had guessed that he didn't phase when Jake had told him to the other night, but seeing it first-hand made CJ even more angry than before.

"Oh I've seen it, leech. I saw her staring at a wall for hours on end, sitting in a chair wishing she were somewhere else, hating herself for something that he," CJ said while stabbing a finger in Edward's direction, "did to her, and don't think I didn't see how you acted like a replacement for my dad the whole time."

As the words made their way into Bella's mind her body seized she could feel the ice taking over the rest her body. CJ knew, he had seen everything that Bella had shown the pack that night after the kids were supposed to leave. He knew everything.

CJ felt Bella stop shaking; she was gasping for breath. When her hand slackened and slipped through his grip he spun at his waist and caught her before she hit the ground. Hunched over, he slowly lowered her to the ground holding her upper body off the forest floor. Her eyes were wide open and dead looking, her mouth was opening and closing, little noises coming from it. She was in shock. CJ knew this much, but he wasn't sure what he should do. He frantically began running his hand in front of her face trying to get her to focus on anything. He could hear Jake yelling behind him, the rest of the pack snarling, but not moving from their places as to protect their kids. When a blur of white caught his vision his head snapped up.

Emmett could see the desperate pleading in his eyes, but the heat coming off his body was enough to cause pause. Slowly he reached forward in attempt to touch Bella's cheek. CJ's hot hand slapped Emmett's out of the way with such force the vampire was surprised. The pleading look in his eyes was gone. Emmett could see the once-brown eyes of the boy completely gone only to be replaced by blackness, "I said you aren't going to fucking touch her."

"Then you better, damn it, before she slips to far." Emmett yelled while moving a hand back toward Bella. CJ stopped his movement once again, but replaced Emmett's hand with his own.

He slowly began rubbing the side of Bella's face, the temperature of her skin made him suck in a breath, it almost made him nauseous, her skin was almost as cool as the vampire that stood beside him. He looked up trying to find Jake, when their eyes met Jake slowly-with Ali still in his arms-walked toward CJ. He needed help. He didn't know what to do and he just wanted Jake to help him.

"Dad help me I don't she's, she's really cold what do you want me to do?"

"You have to warm her up, tell her it's going to be OK" Emmett cut in before Jake was able to answer.

Jake knew he should be the one helping Bella, he was fighting his wolf not to, but Ali was still slumped in his arms shaking from exhaustion, and keeping his daughter safe was on the top of his list as always. It helped that CJ was actually taking care of his mother.

"Bella come on I'll stop OK. I won't be mean anymore just come on, wake up. Dad wants you to wake up, please."

He could feel Bella move her eyes slowly closed, her reaction made him frantic, "Mom!" He yelled again, everyone could hear the panic in his voice, "don't go, don't leave again Ali needs you, dad needs you, wake up, please wake up." Bella's body went limp in his arms, a tear dropped down his cheeks and fell on top Bella's. His head fell onto her shoulder his mouth near her ear, "I need you, please don't leave me again."

CJ couldn't help the tears that began to leak out of his eyes. He was lost and didn't know what to do. The anger at Bella was still there, but the thought of losing his mother was more upsetting to him than he could have ever thought. It's true he was angry at her, it was more for the fact that Jake and Ali had pined for her all those years. Even as a kid CJ saw it; both of them always hoping that she would come back. The faith was always there, it just made him angry that she would stay away from people that had loved her so much. When he phased and found out it was for a bloodsucker it had only made his anger toward her that much worse.

It didn't help things when every time he actually needed and wanted a mother she wasn't there, and then when Lauren came along she was the closest thing to a mother he had ever had. He took to Lauren more easily than Ali had. When Lauren left them CJ knew it was because of Bella and that was when his anger toward her started. She wasn't even there and she was ruining things all because she wanted to be with a vampire.

The ticks were slowly racking up against Bella. He didn't know that it was her when she had shown up that day at the treaty line. All he smelled was leech, and he knew he had to keep it off the rez, but when Jake Alpha ordered him to stop because it was Bella he was pissed. He thought about fighting the order and going ahead with snapping her neck, just for a second, but he knew what it would do to the both of them. When his own father stalked toward him not long after Bella had fled, it made him resent her even more. His dad had never acted like that toward him. Within minutes of Bella showing back up in their lives and CJ thought Jake was going to attack him, his own father. Once they knew that Bella was actually back Jake hadn't been home, either. It didn't go unnoticed that he hadn't come home that night or the next, and CJ knew Jake was spending his time with Bella. It seemed that they were forgotten since her return.

At the same time, CJ couldn't help but let the panic bubble up in him. No matter how much anger he had toward Bella, there was always this nagging need in the back of his mind and heart for her. He loved Lauren as much as he thought he would love his own mother. They got along great, and most of the time he acted as if Bella wasn't his real mother that Lauren was, but deep down CJ wanted Bella to come back because he knew it would make everyone happy. If he was really honest with himself, it would make him happy too, but the anger was easier to deal with than the need for his real mother.

It sounded so petty, a boy angry at longing for his mother all those years. All of his friends would rather hang out with their dads, play football at the beach, work in the garage, do manly things, and sure CJ and Jake would do those things, but there was always the want to be held close and cuddled like Jake had been in the pictures with his mother. Why didn't he have that? The answer was simple. She wanted someone that wasn't his father. At least that was the answer until she came back into their lives. He was angry at her and he didn't trust her and he had already witnessed his dad's and Ali's love for her growing. He was scared for them and scared for himself too. He didn't want anyone else to hurt because of her. _He_ didn't want to hurt when she left again.

Then it happened. She met them at the bonfire and ran from them after Paul pulled his stunt. He loved his uncle, but there was never a moment that he had hated someone more. Bella was going to come back to the fire; he just knew it, and then Paul had to start in on her and so she ran. Ali fell to the ground and couldn't take her eyes off the fire as Jake buried his head in his hands. His breathing was shallow, coming in pants, and CJ knew he as trying not to break down-the Alpha in front of his pack. The second CJ smelled the saltiness of his father's tears he turned and ran. He wanted so badly to follow Bella and drag her back to the fire to his family, but he feared that if he followed her it wouldn't end well, so he went in the opposite direction. He ran until the howl sounded and Jake was in his head telling him that Bella had agreed to tell the pack her story.

When they met in the clearing and Bella had told them part of her story CJ just grew more angry the thoughts swimming in his head were those only blaming Bella it was all her fault. What kind of person would willing date a vampire? What was wrong with his mother to think that it was OK? More so, what was wrong with her not to realize before all that trouble that Jake had loved her since they were kids? When Jake had dismissed the pups, told them to go home because what Bella was about to share would be to much for them, it only angered CJ further. Ali of course tried to talk him out of it, but he just snapped at his sister and she too had run off. He needed answers. There was no reason in the world wasn't going to get them. She owed him that much.

What CJ saw shocked him and he knew if he wasn't phased he surely would have with out control, but what shocked him even more was the fact that during the entire thing, with everything that Bella showed the pack, no one realized that he was there. When Bella slipped and let them feel everything CJ was there, writhing in pain along with the rest of the pack, and in that instant he realized just how strong of a person his mother really was. At the same time he thought her crazy and it sickened him to think that she actually encouraged the vampire to suck her blood in attempt to become immune to it. She was clueless.

The moment the pain stopped, CJ found himself lying in the dirt naked and sore from what had happened. Once Jake had gotten her under control he listened intently as she spoke to Sam and then told them more of her past. When she told Jake about Thomas CJ found himself as angry as his father. How could she move on, how could she just forget about her family and not care that they all still wanted her to come back to them? He wished then that she would have come back instead of choosing the vampires over them, and in wishing that, the hatred only grew for her. Why did he care so much about this woman when he didn't care about them? CJ's emotions were a mess, and the worst part about it all; his imprint was avoiding him. He had told her that he loved her and she didn't react the way he wished that she would. He was lost and didn't know what to do and he could only think that if Bella would have been there all along he could have told her the right way ,told her differently and someone would love him.

* * *

The cold leaving CJ's palms jerked him out of his state of panic he looked into the worried eyes of his father and saw that he was no longer holding Ali, but Embry was and Jake was trying to get CJ to let go of Bella so he could wake her. CJ dropped his hands from Bella's face and her body was pulled from his instantly. Jake was holding her torso, rocking her back in forth, whispering in her ear that he needed her and that she couldn't leave _him_ again that she couldn't leave _them_ again. The pack was slowly making their way toward Jake and Bella. CJ could feel their concern in the air, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he assumed the Cullen's were moving closer as well.

Jake pulled her up to him and kissed over her face repeatedly. CJ could see him flinch over and over as his lips connected with her ice cold skin. His father yelled in panic when Bella wouldn't respond. He ripped her shirt open making CJ look away then he heard a gasp and his head shot back toward Bella. Jake's hand was over Bella's heart her fingers were now digging into the back of his upper arm. Her eyes were wide in shock her body arched toward Jake.

The instant Jake's bare palm met the skin above her heart something gave in her chest; it was the wall that Bella always had around her heart. There had always been this lingering doubt making Bella feel out of place and unable to fully connect with the people around her and it didn't have anything to do with Edward. It was her own insecurities that she had carried with her since she was a child. Bella didn't know if it was because she never had a constant father figure or not, but the longer Jake's hand stayed on her chest and the heat slowly melted that wall away she felt free. The burning was different than the burning caused by vampire venom. This was euphoric. Bella was basking in the heat that was pouring out of Jake's hand and into her chest. There was no tilting or shifting of gravity, because once that wall had completely melted, everything felt right. It felt like she had never left or missed a moment with Jake. It was then Bella knew what both she and Jake had wished for all along. She was his imprint and apparently she always had been.

His hand wouldn't move from her chest their eyes never left each others, but CJ could slowly see the paleness replaced by pink. Her skin was flushing, the white was leaving her body. "Bells," it was a question. They could all hear it in Jake's voice. Bella smiled back at him, the pinkness still taking over her body. "I'm so warm Jake, you're making me warm." They smiled at each other, Jake's lips fell to her forehead and then his pressed to hers. CJ could see the intense look in Jake's eyes. "I love you Bells." There was a ripple of power that shot out from Jake, which caused the pack to gasp. They could feel it, feel his love for her, their eyes never parted as he said it again over and over. When Bella looked at him, tears running down her face, she knew not to question it because the heat coming off his hand shooting right into her heart-into her soul-melting them together she knew, "I love you too Jake." His eyes slipped closed and he sighed, then it was gone. All the tension in his body, it had been there since she had come back- no matter how much he tried to hide it, it was there for all the wolves to feel- but the moment she answered his love Jake felt the power double within him. The calm that came with it was something he had never felt before, it was Bella. She grounded him more than he had ever been before, and he knew then what to do, what he had to do.

"CJ," Jake said as he tore his eyes from Bella, "take your mother to the house, we're not finished here. We need to speak with the Cullens and you need to talk to her." CJ could hear the command in Jake's voice, and this time he had no desire to fight it. Something was different, the command wasn't harsh like it had been the other times. It felt right somehow.

CJ stood nodding his head as he began to make his way into the woods to phase, "CJ" Jake yelled getting his attention, "walk back I want you to talk with Bella, this needs to be worked out. She's part of this pack, she's your mother. It's important."

Turning on his heel, CJ made his way back to where Jake was pulling Bella from the ground. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in close, kissed the top of her head and then slowly tilted her head back and kissed her. It was soft at first and then his kiss became hungry, her arms wrapped around his neck as she stood on her tiptoes trying to meet him. He drew back with a smile on his face and a slight whimper from Bella, "I love you so damn much Bella."

Every time Jake told Bella that he loved her she could feel the heat move through her body. It was as if those three simple words from him were warming her from the inside out, and nothing else mattered. The moment his hand had touched the skin above her heart she felt a jolt that brought her out of the darkness that was slowly swallowing her. The very thought of her daughter imprinting on Edward had sent her into a panic like none she had felt since she had first been taken from Mexico. It was Jake who had brought out of it with just one touch. Within that touch she felt everything, it was almost as if her powers were being reversed on her and she was feeling everything that he was feeling in that moment. She had never thought it before, and she really couldn't believe that she was feeling it now, but deep down something was telling her that she was his soul mate-that she always had been.

* * *

With a last kiss from Jake Bella turned to CJ, a blush making it's way into her cheeks, he nodded in the direction of the woods and the two slowly made their way out of the clearing, with CJ leading the way. As Bella passed Leah a shirt was thrust in her direction. Bella could feel her face heat up when she realized that her hoodie was torn open. The further they got into the woods the darker it became. Bella soon began to stumble around, tripping over branches and twigs that CJ was easily stepping over, "I could phase and we could get back that way," he said over his shoulder has he held a branch back for her to walk through.

Bella stopped right after the branch, she looked at him almost shyly, "I think we need to talk, like Jake said. CJ, I know you're mad at me I get it, I really…"

"Don't say that you get it because you don't. You don't know anything about me. Just because Ali and dad are acting like you weren't gone for the last sixteen years doesn't mean I'm not going to."

"Then tell me something about you CJ, tell me anything."

"Why should I tell you anything about me, you don't deserve to know anything."

"I get that you are angry with me CJ, and I don't blame you because all you've known your whole life is that I was gone, that I left you and it was for your enemy. That's why I get it, I don't blame you for being mad, and I don't blame you for hating me."

"Do you really think that I care weather or not you blame me for being mad at you? This is all your fault, everything that happened in my life is your fault. Dad has been in pain all these years, even when he was with Lauren, he loved her, you know that?" He couldn't help but smile when he saw Bella wince, " He loved her and you ruined it and you weren't even here. You were off letting a vampire take care of you when the pack could have been helping you. Then you chose to replace my dad because it was easier."

"It wasn't easier, CJ. I thought he had imprinted on Lauren. I wanted you to be happy, I wanted him to be happy. I didn't know it was me."

"It's not you!" CJ roared, "Everyone is trying to convince you and Dad that it is you, but it can't be. You would have known if you were imprinted, he would have known. He would have felt it. I feel it when Sage goes to Seattle for the day with Angela, I know it, he wouldn't have survived it, neither would you."

"The council thinks differently," Sam's deep voice broke through the night before Bella could even see him. She could feel her eyes widen at his words.

"Wha…what?" She stuttered out, "You've been talking about this, just tonight? When?"

Sam had finally stepped over the half fallen tree CJ was now leaning against. "We've been talking about it since the night you came back. The things Jake has been feeling and thinking, Leah brought it up. The older wolves have felt something different in him since you've been back Bella, I can feel it. I felt something when I was at the meeting not long ago what was it?"

Her eyes shot to CJ's whose in return rolled over while he shifted on his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. "After the thing with Ali and the leech, she had a panic attack or something; she looked just like she did after everything that happened with the leeches in Mexico. I couldn't get her to wake up for anything. Dad ripped her shirt open and touched above her heart. As soon as he did it was like a wave of power, we all could feel it."

Sam nodded his head at both CJ and Bella as they made their way past them, a knowing smile graced his lips as he walked by Bella, he dropped his hand to her shoulder and gave it a pat.

"Where are you going?" CJ yelled toward Sam.

"I'm going back to the pack to tell Jake what the council said," Sam replied without looking back. Bella heard the rip and then the shift in the air and Sam was off.

Bella turned and stood looking at the trees that Sam had disappeared into until she felt the heat at her back. Turning her head she noticed that CJ was still a couple of feet away but he was looking angry. "I don't care what he says. I don't believe it, you couldn't have survived and neither could Dad if you really were his imprint."

Bella shook her head sadly at him as she walked around him, "It's true I can feel it."

* * *

As Bella stumbled along the path, CJ walked around and got in front of her leading the way. When they came out of the woods beside the garage, Bella turned and began making her way to the little red house, she noticed that it was black and her stride slowed she didn't want to wake Billy. It was then she was jerked in a circle her head almost smacking into CJ chest. "Where are you going?" CJ whisper yelled noting the open windows under the porch.

"Jake told you to bring me back here, I'm going inside."

"No he told me to take you to the house, that's where we are going. I'm not getting in trouble for you."

Bella's eyes grew wide as it dawned on her just what both Jake and CJ meant when he said to take her back to the house. "You're taking me to Jake's house?" She couldn't believe as she asked the question, when CJ's eyes darkened and his lips pressed into a tight line she knew even before he answered.

CJ jerked on her arm once more, and began making his way across the back yard back into the woods, "yes" was his curt reply.

* * *

They had been walking for what seemed like hours, all the hiking through the damp woods along with her near panic attack earlier was wearing on her. Her calves were burning, her ankles were sore, she was dirty, sweaty despite the lingering chill, and the weight of mud on her shoes was quickly wearing her down. Just when Bella began to feel to like she wasn't going to make it much further they walked into a clearing. She couldn't see very far in front of her because the moon was covered by clouds.

CJ slowly walked through the clearing, Bella watching his back all the while. When her feet slipped through the grass and caught on a rough surface she nearly stumbled, moving her foot around in the darkness her foot caught again. Slowly, as not to fall, Bella took a few hesitant steps, and then was nearly blinded when the back yard was lit up. There were two flood lights on each side of a pair of French doors that were leading into a house. From what she could see, the house was a log cabin with honey colored wood, she let her eyes wonder from the doors and across the deck. She noticed that it wasn't sitting very high up off the ground. There were only two steps that led to the deck from the river rock path that she was standing on. In the far corner of the deck there was a built-in river rock fire pit, with benches that were built into the deck. Where there weren't benches there were log chairs. She wondered if this was where Jake had pack meetings.

When she looked up CJ was standing in the door way waiting for her to come into the house. As she slowly made her way up the path she looked to the side and noticed a two-story building that was also made out of logs. It too was lit up with flood lights near the roof. When she walked across the deck CJ made room for her to enter the house.

Bella stood under the door jam as CJ walked further into the house. Bella stepped in and closed the patio door behind her. The house smelled like Jake and she smiled as his scent enveloped her. She was standing in a dining room. Her eyes landed on the table that Ali said that Jake had made. It was beautiful, yet simple at the same time. A square table with four place settings. Before Bella took a step she removed her mud caked shoes and placed them against the wall on the cool tile floor. Turning to the left she noticed the kitchen and the counter tops that Ali told her that Jake had also made. It looked as though he had split a tree in half and placed it on top of the cabinets Bella had never seen anything like it. Before she could stop herself she was walking into the kitchen where she found her hand slowly running over the glossy surface and the rough edges of the counter top. There wasn't a dishwasher which surprised her because she knew just how much Jake hated doing dishes, The stove and the refrigerator were jet black, and the kitchen sink was as well.

Turning from the kitchen Bella walked through the dinning room into the living room, she wasn't surprised when she saw a huge flat screen TV hanging on the wall, but as her eyes slowly wandered down the rock behind the TV she saw the mantel that was over the fireplace. She gasped when her eyes landed on the pictures there. There was the picture that Bella was hoping wasn't lost. Walking over to the picture, she stood on the lip of the hearth and grabbed the frame. Slowly she was running the pad of her finger over Sarah's smiling face and Jake's sleeping form. When she placed the picture back she scanned the others, there were a few individual pictures of CJ and Ali, a few of Jake with the kids, one huge picture of the entire pack, pups and all. Hidden behind the panoramic picture was a picture that made her eyes tear up. It was her and Jake. She was sitting on an old blue milk crate while Jake repaired the bikes in his garage. Bella remembered that moment. It was when the bikes were almost done. She was smiling at Jake who was, in turn, smiling back at her. One side of his long hair was tucked behind his ear as the other flowed like a jet black curtain. She never really thought about his long hair, but looking at the picture it was something that she missed about Jake. It made him look innocent almost.

She felt the tears sliding down her face, her hands were wrapped around the metal frame so hard she could feel the indentations in her fingers, but she couldn't put it down, she wouldn't dare. Curling the picture into her chest, she wiped her tears away with the back of her other hand as she took in the mantel. Jake's talent was stunning. When she let the pads of her fingers run over the hand-hewn log, she could almost see him chopping the ax through the wood as sweat glistened on his arms and rolled down his back. She could picture him wiping the same sweat off his brow. At each end of the mantel the pack symbol was burnt into the wood, leaving the symbol jet black just as it was on their skin. As her hand slowly made her way over each line, CJ cleared his throat. Bella jumped from the sound not realizing that he was watching her.

He stood just behind her with half of a sandwich in his hand. "That was mine," he said while pointing to the burnt symbol in the wood. "Dad made the mantel and he did the one on the other end, he saved that end for me. I did that about two months before I phased." His eyes flicked from the symbol to the picture frame that she still had clutched to her chest. "Do you uh… do you want something to eat?"

Bella could tell that he was trying, so she nodded her head and stepped off the hearth toward him. As he walked back into the kitchen Bella let her eyes wonder to the symbol that Jake had done, his lines were just as straight as CJ's.

* * *

Once in the kitchen Bella saw CJ bent over holding onto the door as he rooted through the fridge to find them something to eat. "I could make something if you want food in stead of a sandwich."

Backing out of the way he waved his hand toward the inside of the refrigerator, "there's not much in there. It was dad's turn to shop and he's been busy this week."

Looking in to the fridge Bella noticed that it was nearly bare. There was a gallon of juice along side a two liter of pop and a gallon of milk, some carrots and a few pounds of lunch meat thrown in the drawer. There were a couple Tupperware dished that Bella pulled out and placed on the counter top before she dove back into the fridge looking for something that would catch her eye.

By the time it was all said and done Bella had found the ingredients to make a chicken pot pie, with a frozen bag of vegetables in the freezer and some of Emily's left over chicken breast. Bella wondered how there was left over anything in a house full of werewolves, but she went with it. As she began making the crust for the pot pie CJ told Bella that he was going to phase and see what was taking Jake and Ali so long to get home.

Once the pie was made and in the stove CJ still wasn't back from outside so Bella slowly made her way back into the living room. She had no interest in the TV as she looked over the room. On the far end of the wall sat a large worn but newer looking leather couch. Another matching couch sat to it's side, and on each end of the couches were small log end tables with a matching coffee table in front of them. Walking back toward the kitchen, Bella slowly made her way down the dark hall letting her hand run along the wall. She flipped a light switch, and to her left was a bathroom and further down the hall on either side were bedrooms. One had a large white sign nailed to the door that said Do Not Enter, CJ's room of course while the other door was open. Bella didn't want to invade the privacy of the room's owner, but she couldn't stop the thought that it could be Jake's room, and she really wanted to see his room. She flipped the switch to the room and it was lit up by an overhead ceiling fan that was on the fast setting. Posters on the wall were flapping in the wind, as were pictures that were barely tacked to a foam board above a wood desk. Bella then realized that the foot of the bed was covered with her old bedspread that by now had seen better days, while the rest of the bed was only covered with a black sheet.

Flipping the light switch back off, Bella couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that the room wasn't Jake's, but it didn't deter her from wanting to find it. Turning on her heel, she slowly made her way back down the hall, pulling one of the two doors open as she went she found a hall closet. The next door she opened she knew would be the stairs that led to Jake's room. Her heart began hammering in her chest the closer she got to the door, and when her hand slid around the brushed oil knob she felt a shiver roll through her body. The metal was freezing cold against her already sweaty palm. She took a deep steadying breath and pulled. The light switch was just inside the door and when she flicked it on the staircase was lit up and she could hear another ceiling fan above her swishing the air around the room.

Making her way up the stairs Bella felt like she was going to faint, with every step closer to the top her heart rate became more rapid, her breath was coming out in shallow pants, her knees were going weak, most of all the smell of Jake became stronger. When her foot hit the last step Bella held her breath, there was a bathroom on the other side of the room, and a small loft overlooking the great room below. There was one door which was hanging open. Bella wanted desperately to push her feet toward it, but she was frozen in place. She couldn't move, the room itself was dark and she wished that a light would magically turn on so she could at least get a glimpse inside.

When a hot hand softly landed on her shoulder Bella shrieked out loud while whirling around, CJ's eyes were wide as he was taken off guard by her scream. As he took in Bella's heaving chest, her hand clutched over her heart while the other shook at her side he burst out laughing. He was bent over clutching his stomach, his entire body was shaking as Bella was trying to regain her composure.

When her heart was at an almost non-heart attack rate she tested her voice, "what… was that for, god you scared the crap out of me." Slowly, CJ unrolled his body and stood back at his full height while trying too look like he didn't purposely try to scare her out of her skin. "The food is burning I think, you can't smell that? I could smell it out in the back yard."

"Oh god" Bella shrieked once again, as she pushed CJ out of the way and bolted for the stairs, thankfully it had a rail on each side otherwise she would have tumbled down. As she ran into the kitchen she realized that smoke was billowing out of the door, when she yanked open the door she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that the pot pie wasn't ruined but had bubbled over and onto the burner below. Frantically Bella searched around the kitchen looking for a towel or pot holder when CJ made his way in. Just as she was about to reach for the drawer that held them CJ bent over and stuck his hands in the oven "what are you… oh my god what are you doing you're going to get burnt." She yelled while trying to jerk his hand from the oven. He latched onto the glass dish barley wincing as he did so and placed the dish on a wooden cutting board.

As soon as the pan made contact with the board Bella was jerking him over to the sink and flipping the warm water on, he let her of course. He could hear that her heart was once again hammering in her chest; he could see the panic in her eyes. He fought the smile he really did, but in that moment-him witnessing Bella's panic-a pang went through his chest; _she cared_. When she ripped the sprayer from the sink and began dousing his palms with warm water he let out a chuckle, his hands already healed. Letting the sprayer snap back into the sink Bella was frantically turning his hands over searching for the blisters she knew should be there before it even dawned on her that her son was a werewolf. Looking up at CJ, the smile on his face made her own heat up in anger, he could see it, and it made him laugh again.

"What are you trying to kill me? First the stairs and now this, god I thought I was going to have a heart attack, you scared the shit out of me, CJ."

Their eyes widened at the same time. Bella's because she had just yelled and cussed at her son, whom she hadn't seen in sixteen years, who since her return had made it known his feelings for her. CJ's because no one other than his aunt Rachel and Billy just earlier today had taken a stern tone with him in so long he couldn't remember, but in all the times Jake or other pack members would slip and think of Bella there was never even a hint of a cuss word coming from her. The worst he had heard her say was "holy crow."

Bella stood shocked, her hand over her mouth, looking at CJ who stood looking at her, wonder in his eyes. Just as Bella was working up the nerve to apologize for cussing at him his eyes snapped away from her and to the pot pie that was sitting on the counter. "We gonna eat that?" he said while making his way to the pot pie. Bella saw him suck in a deep breath and his eyes close, a smile made its way across her face.

When his eyes opened they didn't move from the pot pie, "the forks are in the drawer right beside the sink and the plates are on the top by the fridge. As Bella gathered the plates and forks-even the cups-CJ once again carried the dish, sans pot holder, over to the table.

The look on CJ's face when he took the first bite of Bella's food made he heart soar. He moaned, actually moaned out loud as his eyes rolled closed, and then, he was eating like, well… a werewolf. Bella was thankful that she had cut herself a piece because within minutes a pot pie that should have fed a family of six fed her and her teenage son.

His fork was scraping the plate over and over again when Bella cleared her throat, looking up, CJ could see the look on her face. Bella thought she saw a slight pink flush across his cheeks, she could have been wrong, "that was pretty good, " CJ said while wiping his mouth with his hand and shaking his head up and down.

"Thanks, I'm glad you liked it." Bella stated as she gathered up the dishes and made her way to the sink.

CJ could tell that she was tired. Her eyes were becoming heavy the more she had sat at the table and watched him eat. He also knew that Jake would be back soon, with news that he really didn't want to deal with tonight. While he and Bella really hadn't talked about much of anything his anger seemed to subside the longer he was around her. He could stand her now.

When she hit the water and grabbed for the dish soap CJ beat her to it. "You can go on up, Dad said he'd be home in a bit.

Bella nodded her head, too tired to even think about fighting it. This time as she made her way up the steps there was no nervousness, just pure exhaustion. When she walked across the loft she had no worries about the dark room that was before her. All she cared about was getting into bed and sleeping.

When she flicked the light on the sight of the bed made her hooded lids shoot open. The bed just like Ali had said was made out of huge white driftwood logs Bella had admired on the beach in her younger days. There was no comforter but a maroon sheet draped over the bed. As she walked toward the bed she began slipping out of her jeans. Pulling the shirt over her head, she let it drop to the floor beside her. She reached behind her back and flipped the two snaps on her bra, letting it drop to the ground as well. She made her way over to the dresser and sighed in relief when she pulled open a drawer that actually had shirts in it. Pulling one out, Bella shrugged it on as she walked over to the bed. She had to stand on her tip toes to crawl in but once she was in the bed she made her way to the middle, stacking two pillows on top of each other, breathing in the scent of Jake. It was only seconds before her eyes drifted closed and she slept.

* * *

CJ could hear them before they were even in the back yard. But the closer the pack got the louder they became, no one was speaking a word, but their hearts were beating fast and strong. He could hear them breathing the closer they got, their footfalls heavy on the damp ground. Just faintly he could make out Bella's snores coming from upstairs. Wiping his hands on his cutoffs CJ made for the back door and slipped onto the deck just as the pack was making their way out of the woods. Jake's eyes were on fire his fists balled. CJ could feel the power rippling off his dad the closer he got to the house and it made him nervous.

When Jake stepped foot on the deck CJ could feel the heat radiating off his body, could see the full intensity of the anger in his eyes. "What happened, what did she do?" He could feel his own anger building now, at the same time he could tell that Jake was on the verge of losing it. He stood his ground in front of the doors, almost protecting Bella.

"She didn't do anything, but we need to have a meeting right now." Jake said while jerking his head toward the fire.

"She's sleeping."

"That's good she doesn't need to hear this."

The pack walked across the deck and took their places in the chairs and on the benches, some of them leaning against the railing. Embry grabbed the matches and flicked one into the fire pit, the fire instantly roaring to life.

Jake was pacing back and forth in front of the fire not sure where to start.

* * *

Bella wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not, but she could feel the crackle of electricity in the room. She slowly rolled over to her back and starred at the ceiling, when her skin began to tingle and her lower belly began to flutter. She smiled. Jake was coming.

As slowly as she could, she shuffled out of the bed, lightly padding across the room ,she walked out into the loft noticed a light flicking on the dining room floor. Padding down the steps, the closer Bella got to the ground level she could hear voices some of them were louder than others. She couldn't make out what they were saying, she didn't care. The tingle of her skin was getting more intense and all she wanted was for Jake to take her in his arms and hold her. As she made her way across the dining room floor she could feel the deep bass and rumble of Jake's voice. She stood by the door her hand on the handle when she heard him snarl and shout, she jerked the door open in time to hear the last words that were shouted from his lips.

"The vamps name is Riley"

Bella's vision tunneled, but she could see Jake looking at CJ as he spoke, she could feel her chest tighten with the deep breath she had just sucked in, "No" it was whispered almost so low Bella herself wasn't sure if she had really said it, but when all heads snapped in her direction it was confirmed. She had said it and she had actually heard what Jake had said, she rocked back on her heels as her eyes slid closed on their own accord, and then she was falling.

** As for the explination of the imprint Sam is going to talk about what the council thinks in the next chapter, just so you don't have to wait this is what I think about the whole thing. I never really got how Jake was able to imprint on Ness. I mean really hello she is your enemy, even if she is part human how could he imprint on someone who was half something he was made to hate? Like ok I'll love the human side of you but hate the vamp side, that doesn't really sound like an imprint to me. How was he able to watch her hunt and kill and not be repulsed by it, or touch her and know but the cold of her skin that she's wasn't fully human. So him touching her all the time wouldn't that be a reminder of what she really was? In this I just made Ali's wolf realize that while Edward _may_ have a soul **(don't freak out on me now)** he was still her enemy, and totally not right for her. Plus hate to say it, but she's free now and has no need to ever worry about imprinting.**


	23. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hope you all enjoy this chapter, as it looks right now LTM is almost done. I'm thinking there are only going to be a few more chapters left and then an epi.**

**Chapter 21**

Jake stood, his back facing the Cullens as he watched Bella and CJ disappear into the woods. The hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he did so. Instinct told him never to turn his back on his enemy, but he couldn't pull his eyes away from Bella's retreating form.

He could still feel the shock from each member of his pack at what had just happened. His only daughter imprinting on a leech only to have that imprint broken moments later, and then Bella suffering through a panic attack, and him not being able to truly rush to her as he would have liked. When CJ had slumped to the ground, holding Bella, with that frantic look in his eyes, Jake's heart nearly broke; he thought he was losing her. In a spilt decision Jake practically threw Ali into Embry's arms and rushed to snatch Bella away from CJ. What he was doing-although making a good effort-wasn't working. As soon as Jake's hand touched her bare cold chest, he saw everything like it should have been. Everything the way it would have happened if Bella hadn't been taken from him.

He could see her coming home from the hospital and caring for their children as they grew. He could see the happiness that had surrounded him and the pack along with her family. Everything just seemed to flow through Jake's mind as he sat, his hand glued to her chest, staring in wonder at her open shocked eyes. He could see the kids, just old enough to walk, walking down the path they had rode bikes on, Ali in a little white dress, CJ in a button down shirt and pants holding a pillow; it was heir wedding. Jake could see it all. He could see them building that house together, not him building it trying to forget her, but still doing things the way he hoped that she would do it. He could see them riding their old bikes instead of the kids. He would never have to see the shock on his kids' faces when they phased back for the first time. He would never have to see the scars that Bella now wore along her milky white skin. Lastly, he could see Bella, once again a huge smile on her face, pushing the hair behind her ears as he bent before her, placing a kiss to her swollen belly.

When the vision stopped Jake still couldn't remove his hand from Bella's chest. The bond was holding them together as it worked; he could feel the palm of his hand tingling as Bella's chest rose and fell slowly. The feeling made him wonder if she too was feeling anything, and when asked her and she confirmed it, he knew the bond was finally sealing. Jake's heat was making its way into her cold body, warming her up. He was marking her in a way, part of him was finally becoming all hers. He couldn't believe in that moment that this was really happening after all these years with out her, yearning for her, Bella was his, every single part of her was his. He wanted to hold her and never let her go, and the felling of her skin on his made him only want to hold her tighter, feel her more. Her skin that was just moments ago freezing cold from her panic attack was no longer. She told him so, but he himself could feel it. He could feel the heat moving out from his palm, stretching past his finger tips; it was as though her body was radiating the heat that he was giving her.

Looking into those big chocolate eyes, Jake felt his own wall melt away. He knew that Bella would never hurt him again. He knew deep in every bone, every pore of his body that she just wasn't capable of it.

The words were rolling off his tongue just as easily as they had done so many years before, but this time there was a power behind those words that even Jake hadn't realized would be there. When the last word slipped from his lips his body shuddered and he could feel the ripple flow from his body causing the pack to gasp in shock. The feeling he got when he had said it made him only want to say it more, so he did. He wanted everyone, including Bella, to know just how much he loved her. He needed them to feel it, he needed her to feel it. It was then he realized Bella was crying. Just seconds later she repeated his words, and although Bella had whispered them to him when she was on the verge of sleep that first night, this felt different. Every last concern Jake had about her and him, her and the kids and the ones he even had about her and the Cullens was gone, like they had been erased from his mind, like they had never been there at all.

The lightness Jake felt was like nothing he had ever felt before. Even before this whole mess, he had always worried about weather or not Bella loved him enough, if she was thinking about _him, _if she was thinking about the Cullens wishing that they had stayed with her, because the life Jake was able to give her was never going to be as good as the life they would have given her. It wasn't just the Cullens that Jake had always worried about. Before she left, even when they were happy, the pack didn't fully trust Bella. It was hard for any of them, Quil, Embry and Seth included, not to wonder constantly about her dating a vampire, if she knew things she wasn't telling them to protect _them_. It only got worse when she left. They weren't open about it. No, they knew the pain that Jake was in, but sometimes he would get close enough to the Clearwater's or Sam's house before someone realized that he was there and he would catch them talking about her. He would never say anything. He just went on like it had never happened, but it did-and often. He couldn't help but wonder if that ripple he felt had changed their way of thinking or if it was just him, just his wolf that was completely at ease and relaxed with Bella. The calmness that was filling his body was all Bella. He felt more powerful now, not weighed down by the unimportant things that had set up residence in his mind. He could feel his family. He knew where Ali sat in Embry's arms, CJ standing behind him and his Bella under his hand. He knew they were going to be all right. There was no doubt in his mind about CJ accepting Bella. The feeling was so strong Jake acted on it.

Jake hadn't really meant to make the command for CJ to take Bella back, but he really wanted her away from the Cullens right now, and he really wanted to the two of them to talk. He had no worry as to weather or not his family would be whole again, but he preferred it sooner rather than later. So, when CJ started walking toward the woods to phase, Jake called out to him, telling him that he needed to walk to actually talk to his mother.

As CJ made his way back to them and Jake was pulling Bella up, it dawned on him that he was sending her away. He wanted her away right now just as much as he wanted her near him. He was kissing her before he could stop himself. He could feel his heat on her body, he could feel _her _heat on his own body and that only spurred him on more. She hadn't felt this warm since she had been back and Jake knew it was because of him. He didn't want to pull away, but he could feel CJ waiting for Bella. Dropping his forehead to hers, he told her once again how much he loved her and then, as she slowly peeled herself from his body, he took note of her. Her hair was a mess, her skin was flushed and dirty and her eyes were shining with tears, but she smiled at him. As she drew the front of her shirt together he could see the blush making it's way up her exposed chest and finally to her cheeks as she turned and began to walk off. As Bella was following CJ into the woods, Leah pulled her own shirt over her head and handed it off to Bella. Jake smiled at that and sent a thank you to the spirits that Leah wore a sports bra these days.

Once Bella and CJ were completely out of sight Jake slowly took in his pack. The older members were still standing guard in front of their kids, but were looking at him. Their faces showed the shock that they were feeling, the younger members were just confused, not really knowing what was going on.

"Did that just…."

"Yeah it did" Jake said, cutting off Jared's question as he felt his own cheeks heat up. He didn't know why he was blushing, but he felt shy all of a sudden.

"It was a very intimate moment." Esme's soft voice floated toward them. Jake could see the smile playing on her lips as she spoke, only making him even more shy.

Jake turned toward her and slowly nodded his head. His cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"I don't understand how you can deal with something so strong. It was almost as though I could feel my own heart beating."

All eyes both vampire and wolf snapped in Jaspers direction. Alice was on her knees rubbing his shoulder as Jasper sat, his back propped up against a tree. He was rubbing his chest just above where his heart should have been.

"I have never felt anything like that in all my existence. The bond between mated vampires is very strong the moment it happens, and it stays strong but that," Jasper said nodding toward Ali and then Jake himself, "was stronger than anything I have ever felt before. What was it?"

Just as Jake began to open his mouth to answer Sam walked out of the woods in human form dragging up his cutoff sweatpants.

"That was an imprint, and then the breaking of an imprint, at least what happened between Ali and Edward." Sam said as he strode up to stand beside Jake. They gave each other a nod.

"What did the council say?" Jake asked looking at Ali who was now standing beside Embry.

"They believe that Ali's wolf imprinted on the lee…Edward's soul, but when she touched him her wolf realized that he was different, that he wasn't human."

"That's not possible." Edward's words were hissed out before he could stop them.

He could hear Jake's mind screaming the words before they were even said. "Are you saying they don't know what they are talking about Edward, that they are lying?"

"I'm saying we don't have souls Jacob." Edward grit out.

"You're calling my daughter a liar! She's not, and it happened, not that I like it or was happy about it but that was an imprint Edward. Like it or not, that's what they feel like, and an imprint is when someone finds their soul mate."

"It didn't break because I'm a vampire it broke because I have no soul for hers to imprint on!" Edward yelled while stalking back and forth.

"Here we go again." Emmett muttered while rolling his eyes.

"Don't start, Emmett, you know it's true. You," Edward said while jabbing his finger in Jake's direction, "know it's true, on more than one occasion I have heard the term soulless bloodsucker spill from your mouth, so don't stand there and try to get me to believe that because a bunch of old men say I have a soul it's true."

"I'm not saying it's true because the council," Jake spit out "says it's true. I'm saying it's true because I know what my daughter felt. We could see it as it was happening. The blonde one could feel it, so you tell me Edward, what was it then if my daughter and one from your own coven are lying?"

"Edward it has to mean something, it has to be true." Esme spoke next. He could tell she wasn't certain; he could hear the hope in her voice that it was true.

"I killed people, Esme! I murdered them and left them in the streets, drank their blood, drained them for years!" Edward roared while ripping at his bronze hair only making it more crazy looking. "I can't have a soul, it's impossible."

The pack was now growling at his confession, they knew that Edward had killed before, knew that he thought he was doing good by killing only the people he read were doing wrong or were about to do wrong.

"You see! You don't even like to hear of the things I have done in my past, yet you believe after the heinous acts I've committed that I have a soul? Impossible!" Edward yelled once more.

"You do! I know you do, I felt it, I felt it right here!" Ali was screaming, beating her chest above her heart as she marched toward Edward. Embry trying to grip her arm as she went. "I know you felt it too! I saw it, you felt it, don't lie to me!"

He could hear her voice cracking, but the anger making its way through at the same time. When the tears spilled down her cheeks Edward wanted nothing more than to step up to her and wipe them away. He had done this to her after all. But it was impossible, there was no way he could have a soul. He had this very conversation with Carlisle more than once over the past hundred years, and while Carlisle may have believed that it was possible, Edward couldn't fathom the reason for it.

"Ali, Honey," A growl interrupted Alice's sentence. With a pinch of her brow she shot Jake a look before she continued on, "Edward isn't saying that you are a liar. For as long as I have known him he has always believed that we are dammed and that vampires don't have souls. It isn't something he's saying to hurt you, nor is he trying to turn you or anyone else against the beliefs of your tribe. It's just something he doesn't believe himself. He never has, even when he was with Bella. He didn't want to turn her, although it was something she wanted at the time, because he didn't want her soul stripped from her."

"What do you believe, Alice?" Ali's thoughts were vocal before she could stop them.

"She doesn't know what to believe." Edward hissed out.

"Edward, Alice said shifting toward him, "I don't appreciate you telling her my thoughts. I could have done that on my own." It was said in a scolding manner, she really disliked Edward doing that as much as anyone else. Edward snorted as the thought slipped through her mind.

Alice shifted her body back toward Ali. "I'm going to be honest with you, I don't know if are we are dammed, if we have souls or not although I am more open to the idea of it than Edward and I would like to believe that we do, if some day I meet the final end. I don't want to step over any bounds here, but both Esme and Carlisle believe that we do have souls." Esme and Carlisle shook their heads toward Ali in agreement. Rose and Emmett did as well.

"You still haven't said anything to me. I want to know why you can't believe what happened. Doesn't it change anything for you to know that you reacted to the imprint just as much as I did? You felt it, at least tell me that you felt it." Ali was walking closer to Edward now. With every step she took forward Edward was stumbling back.

Jasper could feel the rising panic in the both of them now, "He felt it darlin' don't you go getting yourself worked up over it. He's just as confused about it as you all are."

"Why won't you talk to me, why is everyone else doing it for you?" Ali was screaming at Edward as she walked over the line into Cullen territory. The vampires moved back at her presence as the pack moved forward.

"I don't know what you want me to say. I felt it you know I did, but it doesn't change anything, the imprint was broken, the doubt is still there, you're free from me, that's what matters now, Ali, isn't that good enough."

"I guess it is going to have to be, now isn't it?" Ali snarled.

Jasper could feel her anger now, but he could also feel Edward's emotions as well. On top of that anger was hurt, and he knew what was going through Edward's mind. If the imprint hadn't broken, even for the reason that it did, he would have believed. The fact that it did, well, it broke the hope that he had, and right now nothing was changing his mind. But then his anger turned to shock and Edward was walking closer to Ali, neither of them saying a word. The pack started to rumble sounding like thunder while the Cullens stood watching.

"It's not true" Edward whispered low while locking eyes with Ali.

"Yes it is" Ali grit out while smelling the air. "You smell like fall, the leaves when they are dried out, you don't smell like them, the rest of them to me." Her eyes sparkled with realization when it hit her, "and I don't smell. The same to you either, do I?"

Carlisle's head was the first to snap in Edward's direction, his medical side wanting to take note of his answer. Edward hung his head, "Lemon and Lavender." The pack sucked in a breath as Ali jumped up and hooted while clapping her hands together. "I knew it! Why can't you just admit it?"

"Because I told you I'm a monster, I don't deserve to have a soul, why would I?"

"It doesn't matter if you think you deserve it or not! Even with the imprint broken, you still smell different to me and I to you. That tells you right there, and you may be too stubborn to admit it, but you have a soul, and I, me, Ali, the person, imprinted on it, the wolf wouldn't let it happen because we are enemies. It has nothing to do with you having a soul or not."

Edward nodded his head. He knew she wasn't changing her mind. She had good points, good enough to make him question his thoughts on the matter more than he ever had, and he wasn't going to fight her on it anymore. "I can't stop you from thinking what you will."

Ali shook her head at him one last time before slowly backing toward the line, "it's what I know."

* * *

When Ali was standing by Jake once more a throat was cleared, "So are we going to be here much longer?"

Of course that would be Quil asking the dumbest question, but really, in all the time they had gotten here everyone's soul focus had been on Ali and Edward imprinting, then Bella's breakdown.

"He's right, we haven't gotten very much accomplished, have we, Jacob?" It was Carlisle who spoke next. "If you don't mind my asking; if the presence of our kind is the cause of your youth phasing, and we haven't been around, has there been constant activity since we have been away?

"We've been keeping busy, mostly nomads, but there has been one that we haven't been able to catch." Carlisle could see Jake's jaw tighten, his hands ball into fists as he spoke.

"Is he alone, does he have a mate that travels with him?"

"He is never alone, always with a coven of at least four; we always get the ones that he travels with, just not him." The frustration grew with in the pack; Jasper could feel the waves flowing from each and every one of them.

"Do they hunt here?"

The snarls from the pack were conformation enough, but Jake wanted them to know as much as they could. Maybe the Cullens knew this leech. After all, he only hunted in and around Forks, never near La Push.

"He's killed in the woods in Forks, he's traveled around your house, and we have been patrolling in that area for a while now, to keep on top of his return. We thought you may know of him"

"We don't associate with others that do not share our same eating habits, there are only a few other covens that share our same diet. The only ones we do share company with that don't are the Volturi. What does he look like, does he have gifts that you have encountered?"

Leah stepped forward now, her own fists clenched. "I'm the closest we've come to getting him, but he's always just out of reach. He's never used any kind of power on me that I know of, but that doesn't mean he isn't mind reading like him," Leah said while jerking her head in Edwards direction, his focus was still on Ali's heated glare.

As Leah finished her sentence and opened her mouth to speak again, the picture image of the blonde haired vampire that she was so often snapping at filtered into her brain and before she knew it Edward was in front of her in a flash. "That can't be! He's dead, I killed him!" Edward roared which earned him a snarl from the pack.

"Him? Him who? Who are you talking about?"

"Riley…. it's Riley, the one that was in Mexico with Bella, the one who tortured us, made me feed off the spy that was watching his mate." Embry bared his teeth while expanding his body in front of his kids.

"What's going on?" Both Quil and Jared yelled at the same time.

"The vampire that keeps coming back, he doesn't have a power. He knows Forks because he is from this area. Victoria found him here and turned him, and made him believe that he was her mate. His arm is missing because I ripped it off and threw it in the fire. I thought…. I could have sworn I killed him, but then Thomas came and got me because the fire was spreading and Bella was getting worse. Oh god, Bella. He's after Bella."

"Bella? He's after Bella?" Jake's body began to tremble at even the thought of his mate still being in danger. He wasn't going to let anything get to her, not even this sick fuck of a vampire that just didn't know when to quit.

"How long have you been chasing him, how many of them have there been?" Edward's words were coming out rushed as he pulled on the bronze locks of his hair.

"Years."

"He's been looking for her all this time, since we left Mexico?"

Jake's hands were twitching, his legs itching to turn and run back to Bella. Although he knew that CJ was at the house with her, he just wasn't comfortable knowing that his mate was so far away from him, guarded only by a young wolf. The other wolves felt Jake's unease, all of them shifting their weight on their legs, their eyes darting around the forest.

Edward could hear the string of Bella related thoughts that were playing on loop over and over in Jacob's mind. His was playing similar thoughts, but his weren't ones of worry for weather or not she was safe. His were those of guilt that Riley wasn't really dead like he had thought. He heard the screeching as they ran from the house, and he just thought that it was it. He hadn't focused enough on the house as he was running with Bella and Thomas to take note if Riley were really dead.

"If he's after Bella he needs to be stopped. What do you know about him Edward, what can we use against him?"

"I don't know very much. Victoria was a shield and she kept both of their thoughts shielded unless she was torturing Bella and then the day she was killed. All I got from her was that she had told Riley that he was meant to be her mate and that's why she turned him. He never knew anything about James, he just went along with the torture as Victoria wanted, he wanted her to be happy. When I killed her all he wanted was to kill me, and since that didn't happen he's obviously trying to harm Bella."

"Why would he keep coming back, he's been doing this for years. Bella hasn't been here, wouldn't he realize that by now?"

Edward's eyes shot to Ali's, "he's not just after Bella." he was taken aback as the words were hissed through his teeth at the protectiveness that he still felt toward the girl. His eyes shot back to Jake's then. "He knows she has kids, that she has family here."

"He has never come onto the reservation; he's always on the outskirts in Forks."

"He could be waiting for them to come off the reservation. After the first time he has to have been taking precautions; he may have thought we would come back to Forks. Victoria had humans watching your family-_all_ of your families. I doubt if they still are, they would have caught up with us I'm sure, because they were watching my family as well."

"How can you be positive that they aren't still watching us, that they haven't been all along?" It was Leah that spoke to Edward.

"I'm not positive, but I doubt they are. Riley surely would have made a move to get her, she was left unguarded when she worked and went to school."

"After all that happened to her no one was with her, no one watched her when she stepped out of your house?" Jake snarled, eyes darting to every one of the Cullens.

"I never saw any threat to Bella, we couldn't keep her locked up in a house. When she felt ready to go out and be on her own we let her." Alice sneered.

"Then why haven't you seen this, if this vamp has been coming back all this time looking for her then why didn't you see it?" Jake was toeing the line as he yelled his frustrations to the Cullens."

"I haven't seen a threat to Bella at all, so it must mean that he isn't looking for her here, he must be waiting to harm her family. I would have seen any kind of threat toward her, I know I would have."

"So this leech has been after my family all these years and we didn't even know it, and now that Bella is back it's like she walked right to his doorstep."

"Coming back was the worst thing she could have done." Came Edward's sad reply.

"Nothing will happen to Bella." Jake grit out.

"Maybe she should come back to the house with us, we can keep her safe." Emmett said nervously, as they talked more and more about Riley being after Bella he couldn't help the feeling of unease settling over him. He wouldn't let Bella go back to the way she was and he knew the second she heard that Riley was still alive that would happen.

Emmett felt a shove to his chest that rocked him back on his heels, Jake was standing face to face with him his nostrils flaring, teeth bared, fists clenched at his side. "She isn't going anywhere with you," Jake accented his sentence with a jab to Emmett's chest. "She's safe with us," Jake was roaring now, "nothing will ever happen to Bella again because of you."

Emmett pushed Jake back, and was a little stunned when even in human form he barely moved an inch back, "we didn't do this to her, we have been protecting her for sixteen years."

"She wouldn't need protecting if it wasn't for him," Jakes dark eyes flashed toward Edward before resting back on Emmett's face, "she would have been protected if she would have just come back years ago, but instead you acted like me, made her feel safe, made her think…"

Rose rushed to Emmett's side ready to pounce, "we didn't make her think anything, it was her weak little mind that had her thinking my husband was nothing but a dog. We all tried to get her to come back to this shit whole, believe me we did. Obviously she didn't trust that you would protect her the way we could. You can't even protect people in the woods from him. How are you going to keep her safe?"

The fight was on. Leah lunged forward trying to get to Rose, angered by the words that she had just said. Every time Riley would kill an innocent person the pack would find them, all of them would see just what these monsters would do to an innocent person, and they hated it. They hated themselves for not getting there sooner, hated the fact that the kids had seen it too, through their memories.

The impact from Leah's jump sent Rose flying onto her back in the dirt as Leah, still in human form, punched her in the face repeatedly. Rose wasn't being hurt, but Leah's hand was a different matter. Blood was splattering from her knuckles with each hit, her legs locked around Rose's waist. Paul and Embry were having a hell of a time getting her off the vampire, Jake commanding her to stop, but the thoughts of all those innocent people were flooding her brain, the rage boiling in her veins making it impossible for her wolf to hear anything. The wolf didn't care, she was doing what she was supposed to do.

The rest of the pack stood back watching Leah pummel Rose. The vampire was thrashing in the dirt attempting to get Leah off, hissing all the while. They knew Leah cold hold her own, but Paul and Embry didn't want things to get out of hand.

Later some thought it was odd that when Paul and Embry were fighting to get her off Rose they couldn't get through to her, but when Sam walked up behind her and put his hands under either side of her arms and pulled back, her legs slipped from Rose's waist like wet noodles. She was still fighting lashing her arms and kicking her legs out in front of her in the beginning, but the tighter Sam held her to his chest as he backed away, the calmer she became. Once back over the line and nearly behind the rest of the pack, only Leah's nostrils were flaring, her chest was heaving, and her hands not so tightly clenched at her sides.

Leah jerked a shoulder forward, while looking over it at Sam, "I'm done."

"Are you sure Lee, you aren't going to go charging back at her the second I let you go are you?" She could hear the humor in his voice and really it made her want to slap him. The fact that he was able to just pull her off of Rose made her want to slap him even more. Since Leah had imprinted on Ryder every thing from her past was basically forgotten. Her and Sam's relationship had changed. Even the anger her wolf felt at his had changed, there was love there but not like the love she once had for him. It was more of a brotherly love, but different than the love she had for Seth. Neither of them could explain it, really, it just was what it was.

"I said I'm good," she growled through gritted teeth. Sam just chuckled at that and dropped his hands. Leah a took a step forward intent on giving Rose a piece of her mind when she felt Sam's hand hovering over her shoulder. "Damn it Sam I'm fine, someone needs to give that twat a piece of their mind."

Rose was standing now, glaring at Leah while she smacked the dirt and leaves from her behind as best as she could reach. When Emmett came beside her and decided his help was needed she hissed at him, he smacked her butt once more where she knew no dirt or leaves were before he stepped around her with a smirk.

"Don't you dare even say a word Emmett."

Emmett held his hands out in front of him feigning innocence but spoke anyway, "Rosie," a term of endearment she hated, and Emmett only used when he felt like being a smart ass, "you knew that was going to hit a nerve. It was kind of a low blow. I mean the dogs do have a lot of territory to cover, and even though there are a ton of them these days they can't be everywhere at once."

Edward chimed in right behind Emmett, "yet another reason why Bella should stay with us until we figure out what we are going to do about… oaf" Jake's fist connected right where he wanted it to and even though he heard a crack he had taken Edward off guard enough that when he placed his hand on Jake's shoulder he slumped forward the same time Edward did. When Edward's black eyes flashed to Jake's both of them were seething, "Say that again and I will kill you right here right now. Bella isn't going any where with you."

Jake shoved off Edward and stood looking at a not stunned, but rather annoyed Carlisle. "The violence isn't solving anything between our family and your pack Jacob. We have to figure something out, and we have to do it soon before he comes back and finds out that Bella is here. Her scent has to be all around the house, after all, she has been staying there."

"Oh her scent isn't the only one there," Emmett snickered while quirking his eyebrow in Jake's direction a smirk playing on his lips. Jake cursed under his breath while Edward hissed out, "That piano is an antique dog, more than anything you could ever afford, and I don't think Esme is going to be too happy with your nasty foot prints all over her white carpet."

The pack erupted in laughter as Jake's cheeks flushed, Esme eyes grew wide, while both Alice and Jasper snickered right along with Emmett.

"Honestly dog, I give you credit. I don't know if I would have had the balls to take a poor innocent girl on her ex's piano in the house of the enemy. I thought I might gag, I could smell you two miles before I got to the house. Good thing we don't have to breathe. I was able to open the windows of the brothel so it could air out before the rest of the family could get here."

Jake didn't know why his face was on fire but it was, he also could help but laugh when Esme scolded Emmett like a child, "Emmett don't talk about Bella like that."

"Yeah Emmett," Paul added in a smart tone. "Bella wasn't so innocent when she was screaming Jake's name when he was…."

"Paul" Jake roared… "Not helping."

"So not helping" Ali said while making gagging noises in the back of her throat. "Please keep that under wraps, Dad."

"Yes please, the repeat loop is getting to be a bit much." Edward said while rubbing his temples, "I don't want to see anymore."

Jake let another image slip through just to spite Edward; he made sure it was the one of Bella laying naked on her back on the piano telling Jake that Edward meant nothing to her.

"Your point has been made, dog, enough." Jake locked his thoughts down then. That really wasn't getting him anywhere, but once the images of that night got started in his brain they were pretty hard to stop.

"Yes, so Bella isn't coming with us then," another round of snarls before Carlisle rose his hand to silence that pack, "she isn't coming with us, but we will need to talk about this more. Alice can try to look into Riley tonight and we can meet up again tomorrow if that will suit your needs Jacob. I have more of Bella's medicine with me I'm sure she will be needing more soon."

"We can meet here again tomorrow same time, I don't want Bella coming. CJ will stay with her while we are meeting. She doesn't need to know about Riley until we know something more definite."

"You're not going to tell her that he's still alive that he could be coming back to get her?" Edward said in obvious disbelief, anger lacing his tone.

"I'm not going to have her upset, I know how Bella's mind works and it shoot straight to the worst possible scenario and she might do something stupid."

"Like come back to us for protection, like leave you again?" Edward repeated the thoughts Jake had as he was speaking before.

Jake snarled at Edward once again, "yeah something stupid like that, I'll tell Bella when we know more."

"You don't trust her."

"I don't trust what she will do when she is panicking about the people that she loves, leech, Bella doesn't care about herself enough to realize she is about to do something she will regret until she's done it."

"I can't believe you…"

"Edward that's enough, you know how Bella is. I think Jacob is doing the right thing. don't tell her until we know more." Carlisle nodded toward Jake.

"But Carlisle," Edward almost whined like a child, "Edward." His tone was more stern than Edward was used to, and he let the topic drop when Carlisle warned him once again in his thoughts. _It was what was right for Bella, she was in a fragile state coming back to Forks and adding this to it would only complicate things._

With a nod from Jake he crossed his arms over his chest, and waited. Carlisle grabbed Esme's hand lovingly and slowly turned to make his way into the woods. The rest of the Cullens followed suit, but Edward lingered a little longer then necessary before his eyes shot to Jasper. Then he was gone in a blur of white and bronze. As the rest of the Cullens disappeared, backs toward their enemy, Jasper backed his way into the darkness never taking his eyes off the unmoving pack or it's Alpha. They were still the enemy, after all.

* * *

When nothing was left to be heard from the Cullens Jake turned toward the pack who were still watching the dark spot where the last had disappeared. "We have to get back to Bella; no one is to say anything to her until I say it's ok. Collin, Brady and Seth, I want you on patrol until sun up, Quil and Jared, you're taking over from there. You can phase now, meet me back at the house so we can talk more."

All the wolves but Sam and Ali phased and were either running patrols or running to Jake's. Jake stood staring at Sam while Sam watched Ali.

"So, I ran into Bella and CJ in the woods, he says something happened while I was gone." Sam could see the smile instantly on Ali's face, Jake stood with his own smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"She's my imprint. I know that now, I felt it."

"I felt the jolt Jake; I was in human form when it happened, what happened?"

So Jake told Sam everything that happened, when Jake told Sam that the second he told Bella that he loved her with his hand over her heart, the ripple of power, calm and security swept over him. He told Sam of the vision he had while his hand was stuck to her chest, he told him that he knew that everything was going to be alright with his family. Every cell in his body was telling him so. and he believed it, how could he not?

Sam, in typical Sam fashion, slapped Jake on the shoulder with a sly smile of his own, turned and phased with out a word.

When Jake looked back at Ali she was silently clapping her hands together while bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. When Jake shook his head Ali jumped at him while screaming that she knew it. Jake smiled as he held his daughter who was still squirming about and told her that he was glad someone did.

When he set her down though Ali could see the look on his face, she knew what he was about to ask and she really didn't want to talk about it.

"So he still smells different to you, huh?"

With a frustrated sigh Ali's shoulders slumped, "I'm really sorry, Dad."

Jake slung his arm over her shoulder and tugged her into a walk, "not your fault kid, but I'm pretty happy that the wolf knew that it wasn't right. How are you feeling about it, The imprint breaking?"

"I'm happy that it broke, I never really liked the idea of it," Jake's snort interrupted her.

"Sorry go on kid."

"I just… Even though I'm happy, it makes me sad too, to know that I won't have the kind of relationship most of the other wolves have, the love that an imprint brings is just different. Would you have hated me if the imprint didn't break and Edward would have been mine?"

Ali felt Jake's steps falter, her question taking him off guard; she could see through the darkness his jaw tense and his Adam's apple bob up and down, gulping.

"Is that what you want Ali, do you want him still even though the imprint broke?"

Ali stopped to look at her father, "would you hate me if I did?"

"I could never hate you, Ali, none of us could ever hate you."

"I don't want him…" Ali's mouth opened to finish her sentence but she was once again cut off by Jake.

"Oh thank god" He tiredly rubbed his hands over his face before looking at Ali, a guilty expression on his face. "You really know how to keep me on my toes kid."

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just I don't want him, but he does smell different and even though there is no love there, I feel bad for him that he doesn't have someone. Did you see them Dad, all of them, they were with their mates. Most of the wolves, even us kids are paired but he isn't and neither am I, and it just didn't work out and I don't think I'll be alone forever but what about him, how is he ever going to find someone else? Carlisle said there aren't that many like them, what is he going to do?"

"You're really worried about this, about him, is that why you were trying to get him to believe that he had a soul?"

"I don't know, maybe, I hate that he doesn't think he has one, it was kind of an insult to me even if he didn't mean it that way. There is no pull there for him at all no love or anything, but I feel bad for him, I'm sure no one else does."

Jake and Ali walked in silence for a while; he could tell though that she was thinking something that there was a question on her mind. Her hands kept tensing and she was nearly chewing a hole in her bottom lip.

"Spit it out already kid."

"Would you let me talk to him alone, ever?"

Jake had to stop the growl that was rising in his chest. He sure as hell didn't want Ali anywhere near Edward, but he could see the hurt on her face, and he knew she had caught the growl before he could clamp it down.

"Why, why do you want to talk to him Ali? you're free of him."

"I don't know, it's just something that I feel like I need to do. For some reason I just want to know that he is going to be ok."

Jake could feel his temper flare. He really didn't understand why she was so worried about Edward. It seemed that although Edward watched Ali more than Jake would have liked, when it came to Bella he was a little too concerned with wanting her near him and the Cullens again.

"Did the imprint really break Ali, you need to tell me the truth, and I mean did it break all the way? There is no pull, no need to be what he wants or needs like Leah has for Ryder? If it didn't break, Ali I'm not going to be mad I just need to know."

"No!" she shouted back at Jake before quickly lowering her voice at the sight of his raised eyebrow. "The imprint is gone, I just… why can't he be happy too?"

Jake slung his arm over her shoulder again and resumed walking, "you're just like you're mom, Ali."

"Good."

No more was said between Ali and Jake that night about weather or not she could go and see Edward, but Ali already had her mind made up. She was going to see him. She just needed to find a way to do it without setting anyone off.

* * *

The closer Jake got back to the reservation the more frustrated he became, mostly at himself for keeping the secret he was about to keep from Bella, but partly because he really wasn't sure that he had convinced Ali that he wouldn't hate her had she chosen to be with Edward. Although he was eternally grateful that Ali told him she was happy the imprint broke.

When Jake stepped out of the woods behind the little red house the rest of the pack was waiting, Leah was standing in the circle of them holding Bella's bag of medicine. Jake's anger flared knowing that Bella hadn't taken it yet, but she was probably back at his house sleeping.

Jerking the bag from Leah's hand, which earned him a low growl Jake, stalked closer to the house. He could hear dishes being clanked around, he could smell Bella's cooking. His stomach rumbled at the thought. When they stepped into the overly lit backyard CJ was slowly coming out the back door. As soon as CJ caught sight of Jake though his relaxed posture changed, and he was on the defense. When Jake stepped up on the deck the rest of the pack joined him. CJ crossed his arms and stood in front of the back door,

"What happened? What did she do?" Jake could see CJ's body start to tremble as he spoke, he could see the anger flash in his eyes, but behind it he could also see the hurt there.

"She didn't do anything, but we need to have a meeting right now." Although CJ was still trembling, Jake could tell the difference, knowing Bella hadn't done something calmed CJ but he was still angry. Jake knew his emotions weren't locked down enough. He knew it as soon as they stepped back in the woods and began making their way toward his house. The rest of the pack had picked up on it and they too were restless.

"She's sleeping," CJ said taking note of Jake's eyes making their way past his into the house.

"That's good, she doesn't need to hear this." Jake spoke as the pack made its way to the fire pit preparing for the meeting.

A low grumble slipped from CJ's lips before he followed Jake over to the pit, most of the pack were sitting on the benches or leaning against the railing waiting for Jake to speak.

"We are probably going to have to find a way to work with the Cullens on this."

"Oh hell no."

"No fucking way am I working with the leeches."

"My kids aren't going any where near those damn bloodsuckers."

"Enough" Jake's booming voice silenced Embry, Paul and Leah.

"That leech isn't going to get anywhere near Bella and if it means that we have to work with them to figure out just how the hell to accomplish that then we will. The pups will only run the inner circle of La Push until we get this figured out. They will be no where near the Cullens."

That seemed to ease the older wolves enough that with a nod of their heads they agreed.

"What is going on? Something else is after Mom, who is it?"

Jake turned to CJ, a little stunned that he had once again called Bella his mom, but he continued on, " The vampire that keeps coming back, it's coming back for a reason, it's Bella, it's you and Ali and Charlie. It wants one of you or all of you; we're not sure yet."

"What the hell does it want, why us, why her and Grandpa?" CJ roared while clenching his fists and stepping closer to a now pacing Jake.

Jake locked eyes with his son, prepared to tell him the story, taking a deep breath Jake spoke, "The vamp's name is Riley."

No sooner than the words escaped his lips he heard a quick, almost quiet, intake of breath and the word "No" whispered from the back door. He wasn't the only one who had heard it, of course. All heads snapped in the direction of the interruption, and Bella's mouth was agape, the color draining from her face, and then her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she began to crumble.

Jake was over to her before she could hit the deck. Scooping her up bridal style, he ripped open the back door nearly tearing it off it's hinges. He cradled Bella's limp body against his chest cursing himself as he rushed up the stairs, still careful not to bang her head. Once at the foot of the stairs, Jake was hit with the Bella wall as he called it. The entire loft smelled of her and when he made his way into his room his heart warmed at the sight of his bed. Two of his pillows were stacked on top of each other in the middle of the bed, typical Bella, the sheets crumpled all over the bed. He hadn't noticed before but her clothes were lying on the floor, he took note of her then as he slowly slipped her onto the bed. She was wearing a ratty, nearly see through Black's Auto T-shirt. One that he had obviously to keep appearances. It was huge on her almost coming to her mid thigh. As Jake slipped into bed beside Bella, he slowly began to rub her arms in attempt to warm her and that's when he noticed that she wasn't cold.

His eyebrows pinched together at this, isn't that what happened when she panicked? Yes it was. Her lack of cold had his heart going into over drive what if this was something different, something he didn't know about, something he hadn't experienced before. Jake put his hand above Bella's heart he could feel it beating, strong but slow. It was then that Jake realized she wasn't cold because she was with him. She was cold all that time not because of the vampire venom, well maybe a little because of the vampire venom, but because she was so far from him. More than once he had heard the female imprints talking about not feeling right when they were away from their wolves, was that what was going on with Bella all along?

Warm fingers pressing into his forearm had Jake's eyes drifting from her chest to her face. Bella was looking at him, he could see the fear in her eyes still, but then her lips tugged up in the corners.

"You can't keep your hands off me for a second, can you?" He could hear the husky tone of her voice and no matter how much he tried to contain it, his dick twitched in his cutoffs.

"Bells honey, I need to tell…" and then her soft lips were pressing up against his, her small body pushing his back into his mattress. He could feel her body shaking as it did so. This was not his intention at all but when her teeth met the skin on the side of his neck, nibbling just so, Jake growled while grabbing her hips to hold her still and thrust his into hers. The air in the room was cackling with electricity as she continued to nibble and suck on his pulse point. He was trying his hardest to hold those little hips in place, but her need overpowered his will and eventually he gave in to her.

She wouldn't let her body disconnect from his. Her lips never left his skin. She let her tongue dart out across his neck and moaned into it. "I love the way you taste after you phase," Bella mumbled into his skin as her lips and darting tongue made their way down his chest. When she took one of his dark brown nipples into her mouth and bit down softly Jake's hips shot off the bed, grinding the seam of his jeans into her core. He could feel her heat through his jeans and it only made him groan harder. "Bells, Honey, you're driving me crazy."

"You make me crazy Jake," and then she was biting down on his other nipple. The action had Jake nearly losing his mind. He never really thought that someone biting his nipples would get him going like it did, but every time that hot little mouth of hers covered his nipple he would nearly go insane. It was his hot button, and Bella knew it.

On one swift movement, and a tiny shriek of surprise from Bella, and she was laying on her back, Jake hovering over top of her, smiling down at her. "I love you so much honey." Bella's lips silenced him. Her arms were thrown around his neck, she was pulling him down on top of her, she wanted to feel him, feel his body, and when he was finally laying on her the heat of him soaking through the thin fabric, of the t-shirt and through her panties, Bella sighed in relief. His warmth was soaking into her, making her feel safe and on fire all at the same time.

Her hands unwound from the hair on the back of his head, her nails lightly raked down his back as he pressed into her. The bulge in his pants coupled with the seam of the jeans was grinding in the perfect spot. When he did it again her feet came up off the mattress and her legs widened for him. Her nails scratching up and down his sides now, "You're driving me crazy Bells."

One of her hands flattened on the small of his back, her fingers dipped into the band of his cutoffs. She smiled when she didn't feel another layer-another thing she loved about him phasing. Pushing her hand into the back of his jeans, she grabbed a hold of his cheek and squeezed while pulling him forward so he would grind into her yet again; he growled as he did so, his head dropping to the dip in her shoulder. Just as Jake began sucking on her own neck, one of his hands slowly began lifting her shirt, traveling up her body and when his burning palm touched the underside of her breast her nipple grew even harder.

As his thumb brushed over the tip she squeezed his cheek harder her nails digging in there. "You like that honey?"

Bella could only nod her head, whimpers escaping her mouth as she did so. She could feel a bead of sweat run down the side of her face. She let her hand work its way out of his jeans, but then, slowly sucking in her stomach to make way for her hand, she shoved her hand into the front of his pants, palming his erection. The quickness of her movements caught him off guard making him still at the sensation and whisper a strangled, "_Fuck"._

His eyes very well may have rolled back into his head. When he felt her hand on his dick he stopped thrusting, loving the feel of her little hand doing the work all on it's own, but when her hand began to slip out of his pants he caught himself whining and Bella laughing. Bella laughed into his chest, "That sounded just like your wolf."

"You think that's funny, Honey?" And then he was tickling her. Bella was squirming under him, which was causing them both pleasure. She could barely catch her breath, his fingers digging into her ribs had her panting. As he continued to tickle her, Bella was able to pop the button on his jeans, and as she began to jerk them down Jake stopped, lifted his hips and allowed her to kick them off.

Bella sighed into his mouth when it met hers, the heat was so much more intense without the jeans, but she wanted more. She lifted her own hips when she felt Jake's hand making it's way down her body. She could feel him smile into her skin as she did so, she didn't care though, he knew what she wanted just as much as she did.

Her underwear and shirt were off before she knew and then slowly Jake was rubbing himself against her swollen wet lips, and when he slowly slipped in, Bella's head pressed back into the pillows and she moaned out her pleasure.

"You're so tight honey, so damn tight." The feeling of Bella's walls was nearly heart stopping. Every time he pushed into her and she clenched around him Jake nearly lost his breath. The fit was tight, snug and maddening; it made Jake never want to leave.

As Jake rolled and thrust his hips into her, the heat between the two only grew. His sweat was mixing with her own, the ceiling fan above them was doing no good, but neither of them cared. Bella's hands were moving all around his slick body and the feeling of it excited her even more. She could feel the tingle start in her lower belly. Jake could feel her walls slowly start to tighten even more around him. He let out a silent curse because if felt just so damn good. Her body knew what to do him to make him crazy. As he pushed in and pulled out a couple more times, Bella's legs fell open, her nails digging into his ribs. He lowered his head to her neck once again.

"You're close honey I can feel it," Bella only thrashed her head and whimpered in response. When Jake's hot mouth closed over her pulse point her walls grew tighter, his thrust came faster and Jake could feel it too, his approaching orgasm. Bella's walls clamping down on his dick, he did the one thing he knew would send them both over the edge; biting into her neck enough to please her but not hurt. He felt her body instantly clamp down on his so tight he stilled his movements for the slightest bit, until her heel dug into his ass shoving him deeper. He grunted at the feeling as she cried out his name and then he was cuming. Her body was draining him, taking every ounce that he was giving her and he couldn't stop. He kept thrusting through the pleasure. Bella continued to scream, his name turning into "Oh god," and then her body clenched down onto his once again. When Bella screamed an "oh fuck" of her own Jake threw her leg up over his shoulder and pounded into her until he was met with another release of his own.

* * *

He had never been more spent than he was right now. Bella was panting, her nipples, hard and dark, glistened from their combined sweat, and as Jake fell on top of her, he felt Bella's arms fall to the side of the bed. He didn't want to crush her but, he just didn't have it in him to lift off of her. They laid there, her nipples rubbing against his chest with every pant, his hot breath fanning across the red mark on her neck. He could feel her thighs shaking against his hips.

They laid there like that, still connected, hot and shaking, for a while before Jake attempted to move off of her. He really didn't want to crush her, but when he slowly started to lift to roll off her he felt his own arms shaking and when her shaking thighs tightened on his hips he looked down at her, "I don't want to crush you, Honey."

"Mmm, Jake, you're not crushing me, it feels so good."

So slowly Jake lowered himself back onto her, but rested on his elbows so he could look at her. The sweat was still sliding down the side of her face, making the hair stick there. There was more color in her cheeks then he had seen since her return, first night sex included. She was smiling when he let one finger glide down her brow and push a wet hair behind her ear.

"Riley's still alive isn't he?" Jake was surprised by her words but slowly he shook his head.

"It's him, Honey, that's why the kids phased. He's been coming back all these years and we can't get him, we always get the ones he's with but not him."

"What are we going to do Jake?" Jake let relief flow through him when she said we. That small word alone eased Jakes fears of her doing something stupid. She wanted to know what _they_ were going to do. But _they_ weren't going to do anything; the pack was going to protect her and their kids.

"Bells, we're going to protect you. You're safe here with us, and nothing is ever going to happen to you again."

"I know Jake, I believe you, I trust you."

"The pack is meeting with the Cullens again tomorrow, hopefully the fortune teller," Bella's eyebrows pinched together, "Alice" Jake rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah Alice, hopefully now that she knows what to look for she will find something and we'll find out when he's coming again. It's been awhile anyway."

"I'm going with you."

"You're staying here with CJ."

"I'm going with you Jake, this is because of…"

"You're staying, Bells." He made sure to lower his voice. He felt the command rumble in his chest. He knew she wasn't pack, that it wouldn't affect her, but he wanted her to know where he stood.

Her eyes narrowed at him, her hand lifted to the back of his neck and tightened around the skin there, "I want to go Jake. I'm going."

Jake cursed out loud. He didn't want her going anywhere, he wanted her here, wanted her safe, but she had let a little command of her own slip, and his fucking wolf wouldn't deny its imprint of anything that she really wanted.

Bella could feel him shaking just slightly, she could see his eyes darken and his jaw set. He pulled up and off her body, working his way backward down the bed. She knew she had won even before he spoke.

"You are staying beside CJ every second; don't even think of walking an inch away from him. I have to keep you safe, Bella, if you aren't going to do it yourself."

"I'm keeping my family safe, Jake."

There was the Bella that he knew and loved, yet the one he loved to hate too. She always thought of someone else before herself.

With a angry nod of his head he jerked Bella toward him and nuzzled her neck before nipping at her pulse point, letting her know that he was still just a little angry about her decision to come, and his wolfs inability to say no.

"Tomorrow, Honey, and I mean it, I better not see you move an inch away from him, so help me, Bells, you better not."

Bella's arms tightened around Jake's waist. She nodded her head as much as she could since Jake's face was still pressed into her skin. "I won't I promise," and she meant it, because in truth, Bella was scared as hell from even the thought of Riley being out there somewhere, but she knew in her gut-in her soul-that Jake would keep her safe, and maybe just maybe that's why she refused to stay on the reservation where he wasn't. She needed to be near him so the feeling wouldn't slide away.

"You'll keep me safe; I know that Jake. I love you, Jacob."

"I love you too, Bells."

With that, Jake lifted Bella up and made his way back to their bed. He really never wanted to leave it again, but his family needed protecting and a crazy vampire needed killing, and so Jake slept that night wrapped around Bella's now warm body, dreaming of a time when they wouldn't have to worry about her past coming back to haunt them. He knew though the Cullens were the key to making his dream come true, so he vowed that tomorrow when they met he would at least try not to punch Edward again, but he wasn't making any promises.


	24. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

As Leah approached her back yard she let out a frustrated sigh. The blue grey sky was already starting to lighten from the rapidly rising sun. The closer Leah got to her house the more heavy her feet became; she was exhausted, wet and muddy from the run across the reservation. Her mind was over worked and all she really wanted to do was sleep. When Bella had come out of the house and whispered those words of fear, every single eye in the pack snapped to her. All of them could see the color drain from her face, the O that her mouth had made before her eyes rolled back in her head and she began to fall. Even though CJ was closer to Bella and was perfectly able to catch her, somehow Jake made it to her first. Her limp body was thrown up and pulled into his chest. He nearly ripped the door off it's hinges as he made his way into the house and ran upstairs. The pack sat back watching the door, waiting for their Alpha's return. When a moan sliced through the air they knew he wasn't coming back.

Leah smiled, rolling her eyes, looking over at both CJ and Ali clearly uncomfortable at the noises coming from the top floor of the house; she knew she needed to get the pack out of there before everyone heard more than they needed to. Clapping her hands together, she got the attention of the pack and after nearly having to jerk Paul's arm out of his socket to get him moving, they made their way over to Embry's house. When they walked in the back yard, Angela came out, concerned of course, but when he mentioned that Bella was over at Jake's she got that smile on her face and went back into the house telling them that she would whip up some sandwiches for the pack.

After all were settled, Leah got down to business. She knew that Jake wanted to talk to the pack about what was going to happen with the Cullens the next night, so she went with what she thought they should do. She was Beta and if it weren't for Jake staying back at the house marking his territory once again he could have been there doing it.

So she told that Pack that they were going to work with the Cullens because not only were Bella, CJ and Ali the ones the vamps were after, so were their children and both their tribe and Forks. Anything was game when it came to the bloodsuckers, they knew that already, but this was personal. They had known from Bella's visions that someone was watching over them, but what they didn't know is that they had been staying right in their back yard. It was unsettling for most, but more so for Embry. It was his imprint and first born that the man Victoria had working for her had sat down beside and talked to for who knows how long. It just hit too close to home for him, and if it weren't for all the drama at the first meeting, Embry probably would have walked up to Edward and thanked him himself for killing the man weather he wanted to or not. Embry was glad he was gone.

Once the decision was made about working with the Cullens, the next big discussion (which turned into an all-out fight) had been weather or not the pack was going to tell their imprints about the threat to their families. Although the threat, as far as they knew, and the Cullens thought, had been only in the past, some wanted to tell their imprints while others like Sam and Jared thought it was a waste. They knew their wives would go into a panic, both for their families and the pack itself. They didn't want that to happen, and they didn't want any of the other imprints to tell them. The other wolves that wanted to tell their imprints were aggravated that Sam and Jared weren't going to tell their wives and in turn didn't want them to tell either. They didn't want to keep anything from them, no matter what. Sam and Jared's tempers flared thinking they were being ganged up on by their brothers. After a few shoves and punches were thrown, the pack agreed to disagree. Those who wanted to tell their imprints would, but would it would be made known that nothing was to be said to those that weren't told. Sam and Jared agreed only because Leah was still holding them both in a headlock and was threatening to stomp over to their houses and tell them herself. Men were so stupid sometimes.

When Leah stepped into the back yard she could smell him before her eyes met his. Ryder was sitting on a lawn chair on their back deck; she smiled as her eyes worked down his body. He was sitting in the chair leaning back like he didn't have a care in the world. A small chuckle escaped her lips when he shot her a smirk and a wink. Although Ryder wasn't a wolf, (and Leah never wanted him to be) he was just as ripped as the guys in the pack and every now and then he dressed like the wolves too. He was sitting back in that lawn chair, the smirk still on his lips when Leah's bare legs bumped his own. He was wearing nothing but a pair of cutoff jeans; barefoot and bare-chested, Ryder leaned forward in the chair and wrapped his arms around her waist slipping his hands into the back pocket of her own cutoff jeans. She was still only wearing a sports bra and when his hot breath fanned across her bare stomach she shuddered. When he began to nuzzle her belly with his nose she could feel the scruff on her face and her head dropped. Pulling her closer to him Leah let her knees buckle and then slowly he slid her body closer to his and her legs fell on either side of his waist so she was straddling him.

When their eyes locked once more, Ryder knew what she wanted, but he knew what she needed first. He pulled her in close to his chest; her bare stomach pressing up against his own bare chest. He could feel the grit on her body when she rubbed up against him his arms wrapped around her waist and held her there as his tongue darted out over and over on against her pulse point. It was slow but strong. When his mouth opened and took the skin into his mouth her body went limp against his and she sucked in a breath. It wasn't sexual, although he could feel himself rapidly growing hard at the feel of his wife's skin slick up against his own, he wanted to comfort her and so he did. He pulled her tighter to him, as tight as he could and slowly began to rock her. Her head was lying on his shoulder and with every move he made Leah's nails would run down either side of his spine; she was soothing him too even though right now he didn't need it. She needed to be held, to be comforted. They didn't have to exchange words, Ryder knew they would talk about it later, but right now she just needed to know that he was there for her, supporting her.

* * *

When the sun was full in the sky, rays shinning against the blackout curtains in the room, Ryder, as quietly as he could, rolled out of bed, the ceiling fan was whirring above him as fast as it would go and Leah lay in bed her skin still glistening with sweat. He had called the pharmacy for them both telling them they wouldn't be in when Leah had made her way into the house to take a shower. Shortly after he couldn't help but join her.

As Ryder slowly made his way down the hall he could hear movement in the kitchen and stilled until he heard a grunt he knew so well. As he rounded the corner Quil sat in one of the chairs drinking a beer, the usual shit-eating grin on his face. Ryder rolled his eyes and shook his head as he made his way over to the fridge to get a beer of his own.

"She talk to you yet, man?" Quil said before he took a long pull from his beer.

Ryder shook his head and flopped back into his chair, "not yet, but she will."

"That's right, she likes to cuddle first doesn't she?" Ryder only smiled when he heard Quil chuckle.

"Your words not mine man, so what are you here for?"

"It's time for our patrol, haven't talked to Jake yet this morning," Quil said while waggling his eyebrows in Ryder's direction, "but last night he said the older wolves are supposed to patrol the border instead of the pups.

"This has to do with what Leah is going to tell me?"

Quil nodded his head before downing the rest of his beer, "Yep," he said making sure to pop the P.

As Quil shifted around in his seat trying to reach for another beer in the fridge, Leah appeared around the corner in a pair of overalls cut into shorts. As she made her way round the table she kicked her foot out smacking the bottom of the chair Quil had leaning on the back two legs, causing it to fall over back ward. When his head smacked into the fridge door Quil cursed out loud, but instead of making an attempt to get up he just grabbed another beer from the door, flipped off the cap, pinched it together and flickIed it at Leah's head with enough force that when she ducked it stuck into the wall behind her.

"Hey jack-ass I just painted that wall."

"Guess you'll have to paint it again."

Leah walked over to the cap and pulled it out and flicked it back at Quil hitting him squarely between the eyes, where it stuck.

"Ow, fucker what the hell! That shit hurts, Lee. Damn!"

Leah leaned up against the counter crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Quil try to squirm out from in between the chair and the fridge door. When he finally was able to stand in the cramped space he pulled the cap out of his skin and shoved it in his pocket. Leah looked at Ryder who was looking at her with a glint in his eye.

"What?" Leah shrugged as she made her way over to Ryder.

"Why do you have to be so mean to him?"

"Me! He woke me up from a damn good dream and some breakfast I was sure you were coming out here to make." Leah said as she slid onto Ryder's lap.

"Hey, you agreed to switch with Jared last night" Quil interrupted as Leah and Ryder both went in for a kiss.

"I'm going to talk to Ryder go get Embry and make him patrol with you until I'm done. I'll come get you when we're done here."

Quil began grumbling under his breath as he made his way out the back door, "Did you tell Claire yet?"

Quil turned to look at Leah, who was now standing beside Ryder. "Yeah I told her, she's kind of freaked, mostly about going down to Port Angeles for classes. She said she might take a break until we know for sure. I don't know what to tell her Lee, she's so close to being done with those classes. I don't want her to have to put it off because of this, mostly because we don't know what's really going on, ya know."

Leah made a step toward Quil, "You want me to talk to her, too?"

Looking up at Leah, Quil scratched the back of his neck. She knew what he wanted then even before he said it. Quil and Claire had just recently (within the last six months) started dating, and even though she had known about vampires and werewolves since she was sixteen, the two still found themselves uncomfortable when Quil would tell her anything about what was really going on out in the woods. Quil never wanted to keep anything from Claire, but it seemed when he ended up telling her what was going on, she would always withdraw from him and the pack. This time was different though. When he told her everything that was going on, Claire didn't want to let go of him, didn't want him out of her sight and had already called the community college to tell her professors that she was feeling ill and wouldn't be in for the rest of the week. Something Quil definitely was not happy about.

"That'd be good; do you want to go over today? I could see if Embry can just take your shift. If not I think I can manage on my own."

"Yeah as soon as I get done here I'll head over and talk to her, but if Embry doesn't show because of Angela, just let me know and I'll come right away."

With a small smile and a nod Quil turned and ran for the woods. As soon as he disappeared, Leah sat back down on Ryder's leg. For the next two hours she told Ryder everything. She told him everything that had happened to Bella while she was gone, all of it; she tried not to get too graphic when it came to everything and she could only tell Ryder about the scars because hadn't seen them for herself yet. But she knew they were horrible from the millisecond of a glimpse Embry had let slip the night that he saw them.

She told Ryder about Thomas and Edward and the Cullens. She wanted him to know everything, she wasn't going to just tell him what had happened last night, she needed him to know it all, and she wanted him to understand what was going on with her and the pack.

When she told him about the imprint with Ali and the fact that it broke she looked sad, but when Ryder asked what Ali thought of it all Leah lightened saying that Ali seemed happy about it, but Ryder knew she would be talking to her soon. He could feel it and Ryder and Leah both were almost like second parents to her.

Ryder asked if Leah thought they were still being watched. Leah was torn; a huge part of her said that they weren't being watched by humans. Even though the leech had been coming back for almost a decade off and on, none of their families had been in any danger. Rachel and Emily had been traveling to Seattle without the protection of any wolves all that time and nothing had happened. She thought for sure that if the leech was going to make his move he surely would have done it then. Or Angela, she was the one that the spy had actually sat down and talked to, weddings and other shoots that she had were always taking her out of the wolves' protection. But another part of Leah couldn't stop thinking of the sneaky way the red headed leech stole Bella in the first place and it had her thinking that maybe there were still humans out there watching them. She just wished Jacob would get out of bed already so she could talk to him about this shit. With one last kiss and huff Leah stood from Ryder's lap and made her way out the back door, she had a worried imprint she need to talk to.

* * *

The cold feeling that was slowly creeping up Bella's legs made her slowly peel her eyes open to the harsh light of morning. She slowly rolled onto her back and lifted her hands above her head, not surprised that they didn't smack into the head board. With a groan, Bella began to stretch her aching muscles and when she curled her toes she made a soft squeak. Her legs were killing her. All the hiking she had been doing mixed with the things that she and Jake had been doing last night were the culprits she was sure. As soon as she felt her muscles stretch and relax, she turned her head to the side looking for Jake. He wasn't laying beside her on the bed; Bella shot up to search the room, but she found nothing of him there either. It was then she heard the clanging below her and a curse followed by the smell of eggs and bacon. He never forgot a thing.

Slowly, Bella slid herself to the side of the bed and chuckled when she saw the height of it. How the hell she ever pulled herself up into this thing she would never know. Jake was going to have to build her a step stool for sure. The thought of Jake building something just for her made her smile grow wider.

As soon as her feet hit the wood floor, Bella could hear all commotion downstairs stop, and as she slowly made her way across the room, it picked back up. He was giving her privacy and she was thankful for it. As she made her way to the dresser she picked up the shirt that he had discarded and slowly pulled it over her naked body. She let her eyes sweep the room looking for the underwear that Jake had torn off in his frenzy; she frowned when she couldn't find them. After five minutes of looking every where in the room including under the covers and mattress itself Bella felt a small twinge of panic bubble up in her. Her muddy clothes where no where to be seen, she didn't know where her bag was and even worse she hadn't taken her medicine last night.

Walking over to the dresser, Bella began pulling drawers open in a panic. What the hell was she going to wear? She wasn't going to go down stairs in just a shirt with no underwear on; her kids could be down there. Jake had all kinds of jean and khaki cutoffs along with uniform work pants, but no boxers. Did he just go commando at all times? The very thought sent a flush of heat between Bella's legs and she had to chastise herself for the thought. She needed to find something to wear.

Rifling through the drawers, she found herself throwing clothes all over the floor. When she heard the door to the stairs open she squeaked and made a mad dash for bed. Before she could reach it though, Jake's scent made its way into the room causing her to causally climb back onto the bed crossing her legs at the ankle as she did so.

When Bella's eyes focused on the door, Jake was leaning against the frame, a smile on his face, his arms crossed over his chest-a chest that Bella frowned at because it was covered with a uniform looking t-shirt, even though Jake was wearing a pair of long basketball shorts.

Jake pushed himself off the frame and slowly started to make his way toward Bella; just that action alone had her insides clinching and the heat building between her legs. Jake could tell in an instant. His eyes turned darker and his nostrils began to flare. Bella rubbed her legs together seeking something, anything to ebb the heat that was continuing to build. Was it really possible to have an orgasm just watching him stalk her like prey from across the room? When Bella's eyes scanned down his body and landed on the tent he was now pitching Bella knew, yep it was possible. Why was he walking so damn slow? When Jake's knees bumped into the footboard of the bed Bella openly sighed in relief, causing a smile to flash on Jake's face. Ever so slowly, Jake bent over the foot of the bed, one hand clenched into a fist, his knuckles digging into the mattress holding himself up as his other hand stretched out. It was then Bella had noticed that she had scooted herself back on the bed. Maybe that's why he had that predator look on his face.

When Jake's hot hand slowly wrapped around her left ankle Bella gasped out loud at the shot of electricity that worked its way up her leg and right to her core. Then Jake was jerking her to him, growling low in his chest. Bella's legs opened as he pulled her down the length of the bed and when she was close enough, Jake shifted his hips forward, his erection bumping into her core. They both groaned in unison before his hand tangled into her hair and he devoured her mouth.

Just as Jake began to grind into her and lay her back on the bed, he stilled and whispered a straggled "shit".

Bella didn't care though, she was too caught up. His smell and heat was all around her, and touching her in all the right places. Even though Jake wasn't moving, Bella let her kisses travel across his face to the side of his neck. She was nibbling at his ear and unbuttoning the buttons on his shirt at the same time. "Bells honey, god Bells, you gotta…" and then her hand slipped into his shorts, "feels so good honey."

As Bella's hand slowly began to work up and down her hips began to work at the same time, a moan came from Jake before he let himself fall completely on her. Just as his hand had made it's way up to the underside of her breast a low whistle sounded through the room causing Bella's legs to clench around Jake's waist and a an almost feral snarl to cross over his lips as his head jerked toward the door.

"Well well lookie what we got here." It was Paul, of course, and being the idiot that he was, he let his eyes wander up Bella's bare legs just to piss Jake off. It was working. Bella could feel Jake shaking, and then he slowly began to lift off of her before she dug her nails into his forearm her eyes widening. His eyes shot back to her and he saw the panic there. For the slightest second Jake thought she might be scared of him; that was until she shifted just so and Jake felt her wet heat. Connecting the dots, Jake whipped his head back around, "get the fuck out of here Paul, meet me downstairs." It was a command. Bella felt the tell tale sizzle from Jake as the words came from his mouth. Paul was obviously amused as he slowly backed out of the room with an even wider grin on his face than before. He shot a wink at Bella before making his way down the steps, laughing as he went.

Bella's head fell back into the mattress as she clenched her eyes shut. Jake's head fell onto her chest, "sorry honey he was being a dick and I was a little distracted."

Running her fingers through his hair, Bella felt the heat in her cheeks, "yeah I guess that one was my fault. You tried to warn me didn't you?"

Jake could hear the question in her voice, "yeah honey, I did." Then his mouth wrapped around one of her nipples that were poking at the thin fabric of the shirt. Bella hissed in pleasure and ground her hips into his. Just as his hands were about to venture back up her shirt, Bella heard Paul bellowing from the bottom of the steps, "you know there are kids down here, hearing and smelling everything that you are doing up there, don't you Swan?" Bella's eyes shot wide, her face turned as red as a tomato before she was trying to shove Jake as hard as she could off of her. Jake was grumbling under his breath, but smiling as he lifted off of her and made his way over to the one drawer Bella hadn't gotten to yet.

Digging out a pair of boxers, Jake turned only to see Bella's head in her hands, they even looked a little red, "Bells, hey honey." Jake made his way toward her and with a finger to her chin he raised her face to look at him, still red as a tomato, "the kids aren't here, they're at school."

Bella's eyes flashed with anger and then she was ripping the boxers from Jake's hand stomping into them and rolling the waist up as she angrily made her way out the door. Jake couldn't help but smile when she screeched Paul's name.

* * *

As Bella stormed into the kitchen, her temper only flared more when she found Paul eating the plate of breakfast Jake had presumably made for her. Jerking the plate from under his nose, Bella took two steps turned around and ripped the piece of bacon from his hand too. With a snap of her teeth Bella stalked over to the counter and leaned against it while she began to eat.

"Someone's testy when they don't get some Alpha lovin'."

"That's enough, Paul" Jacob said as he made his way into the kitchen. Bella's eyes snapped to him and her breath caught, causing her to choke on the bacon that was only partly chewed. Bella felt a hand smacking at her back and the bacon then slowly worked its way down her throat causing her to wince. It was Paul who was keeping her from chocking on the bacon, but Jake was closer, standing in front of her with a glass of orange juice.

Bella took two big gulps of orange juice before her blurry eyes focused back on Jake. The sight of him almost made her breath catch again. She always wondered what the appeal to a man in uniform was and now she knew. The shirt Bella had previously begun to unbutton was left as it was. It seemed she only got the first three undone, but her eyes swept over his chest. She smiled at the patch on the left that said Black's Auto and nearly groaned as her eyes swept across his chest. She could see the muscles underneath the shirt, then Jake's name in a patch right above his heart. Then her eyes swept down, the shirt was tucked in, showing a belt and the long dark grey pants he wore pooled at his dirty work boots. She felt herself move toward him before Paul's chuckle stopped her.

When Bella shot him a glare over her shoulder, Paul lifted his hands, laughing, "Damn, Jake Swan's turned into a little freak." He saw the hurt flash in her eyes and heard the warning growl slip from Jake's lips at the term. It was the same thing he called her the other night, "-in the bedroom, Bella in the bedroom!" Bella's face contorted into one Jake had never seen, "ha ha, very funny, pervert."

It was Jake's mouth that dropped open at that, Bella looking innocent now asking "what?"

"Look Jake, we need to get going. I've gotta get to the station by ten and if I'm going to help you get the cars back to your shop, we need to move. We're pushing nine now.

"I'll be out in a minute."

"Sure you will, if you're not out in one minute I'm coming back in after you, and this time I might let show unfold before I do anything about it."

Paul moved out the door before Jake could land the punch that was meant for his arm. Bella leaned back into the counter, still taking Jake in, "like what you see, Bells?" Bella smiled only nodding her head toward him and bit off another piece of bacon.

"Oh you're going to be like that, now are you?" Jake said as he moved closer. Taking her hips into his hands, he could hear her heart pick up it's pace. "I can hear you," He said in a singisong voice. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Bells," she could feel the vibration from his chest to hers. She let her eyes flick up toward him, but not moving her head. He growled and then his mouth was at her neck nipping and sucking. Bella dropped the plate-thank god it didn't shatter- and jumped into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist.

Placing her on the counter, Jake nipped at her neck a few more times before taking her face into his hands and kissing her long and hard. He was panting just like her. She crossed her heels behind his back. She didn't want him to go. "I don't want to go either, honey but I have to." Bella nodded her head before dropping a kiss to his lips once more. When he went to pull away Bella's legs stayed clamped around his back, "Bells..." she could hear in his tone that he didn't want to go, but she knew he had to. Slowly she dropped her legs and hugged him tight before dropping her arms too. Titling her head back, Jake dropped a kiss to her forehead, then her nose and finally one more to her lips before he turned to make his way to the back door. He jumped though when Bella slapped his ass with a smirk on her face.

"I'm going to visit Dad today and then go visit Angela too."

Jake nodded as he grabbed the handle to the door. "I should be back around six, don't say anything to Ang unless she says something to you, I don't know if Emb told her or not."

With a nod of her head Bella watched as he jerked open the door, waiting for it, she held her breath. "Love you Bells." There it was. The warmth once again working it's way from her heart outward, the smile she could feel probably had her looking like an idiot. He was smiling now too, "Love you too, Jake."

With that the door clicked closed, and Bella began cleaning up the mess, as waves of frustration settled over her. Maybe she was really a freak.

* * *

Ali had been staring at the clock all day. The second hand was slowly counting down time until the final bell for the day rang and all Ali wanted to do was flip the damn thing to the three already. She really liked school, but they were only a week from being out for the summer and she just wasn't feeling it today. All she could think about was talking to Edward. She didn't know why, really. She didn't know what else there was to say to him, but she knew she had to talk to him.

The shrill screech of the bell jolted her out of her thoughts and she practically raced out of the room, someone caught her arm. Turning in the grip it was CJ, "Hey sis, where you going in such a rush?"

"To the beach."

CJ quirked his brow at her, "With who?"

"None of your business," she snapped, and then winced when the words registered.

"Has Cole been bugging you again Ali?"

"No, I haven't seen him in a while."

"Ok, but remember what Aunt Leah said. We're not suppose to go far from town, at least until she talks to Dad."

"Ok, I'm just going to the beach; I'll be back later, you going over to visit Sage?" Ali asked while quirking her eyebrow at him.

CJ's head dropped. Ali could see the pain flicker across his face, "She's still not talking to me," he said as he kicked the locker near him.

Ali reached out placing her hand on CJ's shoulder, "CJ I can… If you want I can talk to Sage again, it's no big deal."

Pulling his eyes from the floor, CJ looked over his shoulder not meeting his sisters eyes, "Nah I'll figure something out. She's gotta talk to me at some point, she's my imprint right?"

Ali wasn't sure if CJ realized that he was doing it but he was rubbing the spot above his heart as he was talking to her. The action alone made Ali mad and sad for him at the same time. She knew what he was going through, but at the same time, after the fiasco that was her imprint, she knew what Sage was going through too. She vowed then and there to talk to her, but only after she talked to Edward first.

Her hand slipped from his shoulder as he turned to walk away, looking back over his shoulder she could see his face turn serious, "Ali, don't get yourself into trouble. I know you're not going to the beach."

She scowled at him as she turned and walked in the other direction. Sometimes she really didn't like having a twin.

* * *

As CJ made his way down the road leading from the school he caught Bella's scent and followed it, figuring he might as well start his guard dog duties since he had nothing better to do. Of course, because CJ's luck was just awesome her scent led him right to the door of his imprint. When his foot smacked into the bottom step of the Call's front porch CJ inhaled a deep breath. He could smell all of them, but the smell of his imprint had him sighing in relief. When he focused he could hear her heartbeat, it was in the kitchen. Her voice though was a bit muffled because food was being fried on the stove. He could hear the popping of the grease along with the voice of his mother and Angela.

Just as CJ was picking up his foot to step on the bottom step a throat cleared and he whipped around. Embry was standing behind, him his uniform still on, lunch box in hand. He wore a lopsided smile, of course, which aggravated CJ just a bit.

"I'm not here to see her," CJ snapped as he turned his body toward Embry.

"I didn't say you were. I can smell Bella, she's been with Ang most of the afternoon."

"Yeah well, I just figured I'd stop and check on her since Leah and dad want me to watch over her while they are at work."

"Go ahead in the house; I know Sage wants to see you, CJ."

CJ couldn't help the snort that made its way out of his nose, "Sure she does, and she doesn't even look at me in school anymore."

Just as Embry was about to answer, the door started to swing open and the smell of his imprint wafted across the porch. He took a deep shuddering breath before looking at Embry, the pain evident on his face.

"Hey Da…" the rest of her words only came out as a squeak.

CJ's shoulders slumped as he looked on at Embry; his eyes were flicking from CJ's face over his shoulder to Sage's. "Well I should let you kids talk, huh?"

CJ rolled his eyes and with a huff he slowly turned as Embry made his way around him. The sight of Sage standing in the doorway nearly took CJ's breath away. She was wearing his La Push high football hoodie he had given her at the last bonfire. He took a step forward, not really realizing that he did so until he noticed that she had taken a step back. "CJ, I really have to go study. I'll call you later, ok?"

His heart fell, his shoulders slumped right along with it, "Yeah, I'll talk to you later Sage, can you get my…," it was then he saw that Bella was standing behind Sage, listening to their exchange. He could see she was studying them both and he cursed under his breath. Yet another person able to witness his poor attempt to reconnect with his imprint.

As Sage turned around to go back in the house she bumped into Bella who laughed it off, pulling Sage into a hug. He could see her stiffen just slightly but then give into the hug. CJ knew what she was doing and while he was thankful for it, he knew it was going to drive him nuts smelling her until Bella washed her clothes.

Bella hesitantly stepped around Sage and slowly walked across the porch, never taking her eyes off CJ. She could see the hurt on his face, and it reminded her so much of Jake. She could see Jake's sadness and determination in her son's eyes and even though she knew something was going on she didn't want to push. Deep down she really just hoped that he would open up and talk to her.

The closer they got to Jake's house the more worried Bella got about CJ. He hadn't said a word, hadn't torn his eyes away from the road in front of him. She could hear him taking deep breaths over and over again and she hoped that by hugging Sage her smell would calm him, his lack of speech or even acknowledging that she was even there had her thinking her plan had backfired.

They slowly made their way down the gravel drive. When CJ passed the front porch Bella's eyes shot to his face. He didn't look in her direction but merely nodded his head. Walking past the side of the house, she saw Seth open the door to the two-story garage with a smile. Scrunching her eyebrows at him, she did a quick jerk of her head which had Seth stepping back and closing the door.

As they made their way through the backyard and down a path into the woods, Bella could hear the lapping of the waves, smell the salt in the air. She smiled at the feeling of it, she loved the beached of La Push, it was like they held this calming factor.

As their feet sunk into the pebbles and sand of Third Beach, CJ's body movements became jerky and agitated. Bella knew he wasn't going to phase but he was surely going to blow up. Bella stopped but her eyes took in CJ's movements as he stomped around on the beach, his fists clenching every time he turned to make the small five step trek in front of her.

When he abruptly stopped he fisted his hair with both of his hands and snarled. Bella's body jerked back at the sound, CJ flinched.

"Doesn't she realize that she's hurting me? God it hurts so fucking much when she walks past me in the hall and doesn't even look in my direction. I wait for her to but she never does."

Bella took a step toward CJ and he jerked back, his nostrils flaring eyes wild, "don't... I can't… you can't touch me, it's bad enough I can smell her all over you, it can't touch me."

Bella nodded at CJ who was still pacing. She could see the flush of anger on his face; the veins in his arms were prominent now. As she watched him pace back and forth in front of her, the waves of the ocean caught her attention. When her eyes shot to CJ once more he was still pacing but muttering to himself as he was once again fisted his hair.

Making her way around him, she began walking toward the water. She had to do this for him, but she cringed as she got to the to the water. When the first lap of the waves hit her ankles, her body jerked and she hissed at the cold of it. Instantly, there was a flash in her vision, red flowing hair and an evil laugh.

A hot hand grabbed her arm and jerked her back from taking a further step; CJ's angry eyes met hers. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I thought her smell would calm you, I'm sorry, let me get rid of it and we can talk CJ, tell me what is going on. I want to help."

"I can't let you do that, the water is freezing, Dad would kill me."

"CJ please, let me do this. It's causing you pain, I can see it. I messed up, ok? I thought it would help, it didn't; just trust me right now, I can do this. I _want_ to do this for you."

CJ was torn, not knowing what to do. He knew, along with all the other wolves since that night, that Bella had a thing about anything cold and even though she was trying to tough it out, her lips were already starting to tremble. While she tried to hide it, he could see her arms slowly hug tighter to her form.

CJ sucked in a deep breath before he realized what he was doing. He was prepared to tell her no once again, but then Sage's scent consumed him and he growled before he caught himself.

Bella saw the hurt under the anger though. Grabbing his hand with her own, she squeezed it, reassuring him that he would be fine. His head dropped, a tear fell, and then he let go. Bella slowly turned back toward the lapping water. She was happy that this time she was going into the water for a reason worthy of her pain. As she stepped into the water the cold sent a shot of pain slicing through her legs causing her to suck in a breath and then she was running, crashing through, the waves the water was splashing up into her face, the waves, although lapping calmly, had her pushing herself hard into the water. She sucked in a deep breath before her hands flew over her head she launched herself up and then she sliced through the ice cold water, keeping check on herself so she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. She wouldn't allow her mouth to open in a gasp as the frigid water surrounded her. She had something to prove doing this. She was proving to CJ that she would do anything for him, proving to herself that even without Jake there by her side she could overcome her past and fight for the future that she longed for. She needed to be strong and as the ice cold water moved over her body, she felt empowered.

Just as quickly as Bella was under the water, her feet dug into the ocean floor and she shot upward, thankful that she really wasn't out any further than waist high. As soon as her head broke the surface, her arms were clasped by hands so hot they stung against her now cold skin. Her eyes opened and she saw CJ right before he slung her across his back, and then he was running out of the water. He was quick. His wolf speed allowed him to get to the shore before her teeth started to chatter. When her feet hit the peddles, she hugged herself, urging the cold to go away. It was then she noticed a small fire just down from where they were standing, but not far from the water. CJ led her there and then held out his t-shirt to her. He knew it wasn't going to be much, but it had to be better than her water-logged hoodie. No trace of his imprint's scent remained, but he wasn't sure it was worth the risk to her health.

Bella took the shirt with pale and shaking hands. CJ frowned as he looked down at her, her lips were turning purple her teeth were chattering now, but he saw her clinch her jaw in an effort to stop them. It wasn't working. CJ turned abruptly toward the forest allowing Bella to rid herself of the soaked shirt. When he heard it hit the sand with a plop he turned back around and sat Bella on a log that was lying on the beach. He scooted close to her allowing his leg to brush her now soaking pants. Bending forward, he pulled Bella's shoes and socks off. He wanted to smile when she wiggled her toes, they looked like Ali's short and stubby, something he was constantly teasing her about.

He flung her shoes to the side allowing the fire to slowly dry them. When he set back up Bella had tucked her arms into the shirt. She was rubbing her arms to gain warmth. He looked at her through the corner of his eye; she did the same. He felt weird doing it, but he slung his arm over her shoulder and Bella gasped at the heat and then instantly drew her body closer to his. The closeness making him uncomfortable, but she was freezing and she had done it for him, so he needed to help her get warm.

They sat there for a while, CJ's arm slung over Bella's shoulders, her arms still inside her shirt rubbing the goosebumps away. When CJ's warmth and the warmth from the now roaring fire had Bella warm enough, she opened her mouth to speak, "Tell me about Sage."

His arm moved from around her shoulder and down to his side. She felt the cold at her back, but then his heat was soaking through her shirt into her side. He wouldn't look at her, though.

"She's my imprint; you know that, we told you at the bonfire." Bella nodded her head in response.

"I imprinted on her at our birthday party last year at the bonfire. It was like minutes after I phased during the shit storm." Bella bit her tongue; it shocked her that her kids cussed so much. It was something she was going to have to talk to Jake about.

"She's my everything; she knows it, everyone knows it. All the kids, even the ones that didn't phase know it, but she doesn't care." Bella's eyebrows scrunched together yes; definitely something she was talking to Jake about.

"I don't think that she doesn't care CJ."

"What would you know you have never been around," CJ snapped before he was able to catch himself. He felt Bella's body stiffen at his words and then slump down. Her arms circled the knees that were now pulled to her chest.

"Damn it, look I'm really trying here to be nice, you're back and Dad and Ali are happy, but you just don't know what it's like to love someone like that and have them reject you. She is acting like she doesn't even know me, and it hurts her, I know it does because every time I walk past her in the hall I can feel her pain. I can see it on her face, and it hurts me just as much too, I can feel her heat, taste her scent on my tongue, and she just passes me like it's nothing."

"What do you feel about me being back?"

The quick change of subject had CJ's head whipping in Bella's direction. The question caught him off guard.

"I…" his pause had Bella worrying her lip between her teeth, "I can't have you leave us, it would kill Dad and Ali too, you can't do that to them."

"What about you, would you be happy if I left?"

CJ shot up from the log. His eyes bored into hers, "Are you fucking serious, how could you ask me that question? If you left it would kill them aren't you listening?"

Bella nodded her head while she slipped her arms through the holes of the shirt, "I'm listening to you, but all you are telling me is what Jake and Ali would feel, not what you feel. What do you feel CJ? I want to know."

"I don't know what I feel. What am I supposed to say to you, that I'm pissed that you left us, that you weren't here for anything? The birthday's, holidays, those stupid fucking school plays we had to do. Every one else had their moms there with video cameras but we didn't Dad was there and Grandpa Billy and Grandpa Charlie were there, but you weren't. You never were and you never came back and then Lauren came and she left and I really loved her. I wanted her to be my mom and not you. Is this the shit you really want to hear?" Bella stood watching her son as he slowly began to shake.

"Or do you want to hear that I hated you when Ali would go to that god damned tree every single year and read that shitty book of yours and cry, cry because you never came back to us. Or that we could hear Dad crying in the garage at Grandpa Billy's place over that stupid trunk. I put that in there, not him, Ali told you that didn't she? I hated that it would be the first thing he looked at when he went in that room. I hated that it made him hold onto you, that he never moved on. I wanted them to be happy, but they wouldn't be. They never were because you never came back."

"What do you want from me?" CJ roared, the shaking only getting worse, "I wanted you there all the time, but I had to be strong because neither of them were, and it hurt to know that you didn't want me back. You never wanted us back, you never came back, and now she doesn't want me either. I love her damn it, I love her so much and I told her that and she flakes. She just runs away like it doesn't mean shit, but I know that we are going to be together forever. Shit, she knows it, but the second I tell her that I love her that's it. Why is it so hard for someone to love me back?"

CJ fell to his knees. His hands hung limply at his sides. He had just begun to cry when Bella pulled him into her arms and then his body folded into hers causing her to fall back onto her butt. When his huge hand fisted her shirt and a sob wracked through his body, Bella began rocking him as she made soothing noises into his hair. She dropped a kiss to the top of his head as she did so.

Her son was hurting and it killed her, he had been hurting this whole time wanting her around just as much if not more than the others. He was trying to be strong for his family, but really it was tearing him apart all these years and that made Bella angry. She was angry at herself for not pulling it together sooner and not manning up and coming back, angry that she didn't stay all those years ago when she thought Jake was with Lauren. If only she had, would he be in this much pain right now?

As she continued to rock him back and forth Bella let her hand sooth over his now mussed hair and down his back rubbing soothing circles. His sobs slowed, she could feel the wetness of his tears on her shirt, and she held him tighter.

"CJ I have always loved you, your dad, Ali, the pack, your family has always loved you. Sage loves you; she just doesn't want to admit it yet because it scares her. She's young and she's scared about such a big life altering thing." Bella spoke into his hair, she paused waiting for him to respond. When he didn't she continued on. "You said I didn't know, but I do, a long time ago I loved someone that rejected me and I thought it was the end of the world. I let it break me for a while and then your dad was there to help me. You're doing so much better than me CJ, and she does love you I know it."

"The leech."

"It was Edward, yes." Bella could feel the vibration of his snarl as she answered. "He left me and I felt rejected and I let it get the better of me, let it break me and I hate that. But you CJ, you're so much stronger than me, than this. You can feel it can't you, the love she has for you?"

She felt him nod his head into her stomach, "That's what's important CJ, the bond that you two have. You can feel that she loves you, you just need to give her time, let her warm up to the idea of a cute guy who's a year older than her telling her he loves her. Girls are just that way sometimes. It took me forever to admit my feelings for your dad. Deep down I knew that I loved him for a long time before I said it, but I was scared of the things that would happen once those words were said. We had this great friendship and I didn't want my love for him to complicate it. I was scared too, and he did to me just like you do to her, those longing looks, I caught them all the time, even though he didn't think I was aware enough to realize. I did, and I almost felt pressured from it. There was a strain there that he was putting on me that only made me draw further into myself. Things were changing because of it and I didn't like it. I wanted him to be my best friend and the man I loved but those changes in him scared me."

"I don't pressure her to do anything, I never have."

"It's not that you are pressuring her, I said that wrong, the love you have for her shines in your eyes every time you look at her. Just today I saw that look, Embry saw it and so did Sage. You don't even realize that you are doing it, and one day that look won't scare her, but now it does because she's confused. She loves you but she wants to know that nothing is going to change, that you're always going to be there for her. She wants her best friend always."

"So I'm not supposed to look at her?" CJ was really getting confused and a little aggravated by this. Why did girls have to be so confusing?

"It's not that you aren't supposed to look at her," Bella said as a smile crossed her lips, "the dopey look in your eye while you look at her and the crooked smile is what sends the red flags out. Anyone would recognize that look, and being as I was on the receiving end of that look for quite a few months, I can tell you that it starts to get a little intimidating."

"So what happened with you and Dad, did he stop with the look?"

Bella sighed as CJ pulled himself away from her, "Your dad," she said in a chuckle, "got lucky. I was with him one day and just realized that he was never going to leave or hurt me. I accepted him and I had faith in him that he wouldn't let us change. We didn't, it was the smartest thing I've ever done."

"That doesn't really help me out, Mom," it was said in a sarcastic tone, but Bella's heart nearly burst at his words. CJ had just called her mom, they were sitting on the beach talking and he called her mom. It was her turn to get the dopey smile.

CJ's eyes scanned hers his brow furrowed, "What?"

"You just called me mom."

CJ's eyes widened as his hand shot to the back of his neck, "Yeah I guess, I guess I did," the smile that lit Bella's face made something click for CJ, "That's the look isn't it?"

Her smile grew wider; "Yep," she said popping the P.

"Oh god, I probably look like a total douche."

"Language, CJ"

"Really, I mean that," CJ said while pointing at Bella's face, "is the look that I give her?"

Bella nodded her head while raising an eyebrow at her son, was he really getting ready to make fun of her. Her thought was answered when he burst out laughing, "oh my god, she must think I'm nuts, I must look like a total idiot if I really look like that to her."

"Hey!" Bella squeaked out in protest.

"Sorry Mom, but that is so bad. Do I really look that bad?"

Bella huffed as she stood, "Alright, that's enough, we'd better get back to the house and make dinner before your dad gets home from work."

CJ walked to the fire and began kicking sand into it as Bella gathered up her now mostly dry shoes and socks. Slipping her shoes on and pocketing her socks, she wait for CJ and signs that the fire were put out. Once he was done he moved toward her and slung his arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair.

"Good talk, Mom"

Bella smiled and nodded her head, it was a good talk and she was hoping for many more.

* * *

Ali was pacing in the meadow just waiting, she kept nervously looking over her shoulder waiting for Quil, her dad or one of her other pack members to appear out of the woods. She listened hard and couldn't hear anything but the rushing of the swollen creek off to her far left, and the birds chirping in the distance. She was waiting for him, hoping that he'd show, but as she looked down at her cell phone the battery slowly dwindling, she was losing hope. She had already been here going on two hours and there was no sign of him, or any of his coven. She could still smell _their _stench that lingered in the air from the night before; she could smell his smell too. Looking back down at her phone and turning on her heal as she did so she knew she had to get home before someone caught on to her. She made a few steps while beginning a text to Sage, when she bumped into a cold hard wall. She squeaked and the phone dropped out of her hand onto the ground.

His eyes were honey colored even more than they were the night before. Her breath caught at the sight of them.

"Why are you waiting here for me?"

"How long have you been here?" Ali countered.

"Long enough to know that you're worried about your pack catching you. This clearing isn't part of your territory, why are you here Ali?"

"You know why I'm here, Edward."

"I haven't changed my mind."

Ali huffed as she bent to pick up her phone, his pale white hand shot to the ground before hers and he retrieved the phone. When he handed it back to Ali, the half typed text was gone, her main screen in its place.

Stuffing the phone into her pocket, Ali took a step toward Edward who in turn took a step back, "Why won't you even consider the possibility that you have a soul?"

Edward's hands went straight to his already messy bronze hair, Ali's eyes followed. _God he's a different kind of beautiful. _As the thought crossed her mind, her cheeks tinted with the blood that was rushing to her face knowing that he had read her thoughts. His eyes shot to hers, wide with wonder.

"How is it that you can think of me like that, when all of the others see me as nothing but a disgusting leech?"

Ali rolled her eyes at him, "I told you it's different. I see you as something different, just because the wolf sees you as the enemy, I can't." She wondered why he just wouldn't give her a chance.

"It would never work, your wolf is stronger than you, Ali and even though you are already part of this world, I would never drag another non-vampire into my world. Not after Bella."

"Even if you don't want to give me a chance, why can't you even think about the things that I said to you the other day? Why would it be so hard to even think that you have a soul?"

"Because I don't have one, it's impossible."

"You really are a pain in the ass you know that? Why do you have to make everything so difficult! You're just stubborn."

"One hundred and twenty-five years will do that to you. I've had a lot of time to think about it Ali, my mind won't change in a day."

"It won't ever change if you don't even allow the thought to enter that thick skull of yours. God, I really don't know why I even bother." Ali threw her hands up frustrated at that fact that he wasn't even willing to consider the possibility that he had a soul.

"Why is it so important to you Ali, my soul?"

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned on her heel, her determination showing on her face as she marched back toward him. Ali was good at locking down her thoughts, really good. As she marched back toward him, Edward heard nothing but silence. He couldn't help that it reminded him of Bella.

Stopping just short of her chest bumping into his, she poked his right pec. "It's important to me because you are questioning something that my tribe believes in, something that is proven every time a wolf imprints."

"Is that the only reason?" Edward asked, smugness to his voice. It was there because he had heard it. In all the years since he had been gone, Edward had gotten really good at hiding. He had heard most of her conversation with Jake as they walked back toward La Push the previous evening; he heard her thoughts as Jake spoke to her.

Her eyes blazed as they locked on his, "Obviously you know it isn't."

She really wanted to rip his lips off as they turned into that smile she was quickly learning to hate, the smile grew as he read the thoughts she wasn't able to hide.

"Then tell me why it's so important to you." He really didn't expect her to say it, he was hoping that calling her out would make her give up, walk away and forget about him.

"It's important because I couldn't want to be with someone who didn't have one."

His eyes widened at her bluntness, hers glistened in victory, apparently he wasn't expecting that.

"I was in love with your mother and she me, I kissed her and held her every night as she slept, longed for her for years, hated your father because she loved him more."

"But you don't now." She knew it just as well as he did.

Edward was getting frustrated that she could read him so well, it was like she had inherited his power. "No, I no longer have those feelings for your mother," he answered finding it hard to even want to lie to her, his eyes still locked on hers.

"Kiss me."

His eyes turned black at the sureness of her words. He took a step forward, listening to her mind searching for any sign of fear, there was none. When his hands softly hovered over her arms and his head drew near her breath caught and then he heard it. _My first kiss… _He stopped his lips just an inch from brushing hers, "Is going to be from a vampire, your enemy are you sure you really want that Ali?"

Goosebumps rose on her skin as his cold breath fanned across her overly heated lips, **she** wanted to just jerk her head forward and kiss him, wanted him to be her first kiss, he was her imprint even though he really wasn't.

The wolf felt differently. The longer his breath fanned over her face, the more she felt the crawling of her skin. The wolf wanted out, wanted to stop what was about to happen. The enemy was too close, his cold breath across her skin was about to drive the wolf mad, but Ali was fighting it she wanted this. _Just this one thing from him and she would stop. She had to see if the wolf really was stronger._

His head shot forward and his lips connected with hers causing her to gasp. His tongue slipped into her mouth as one of his hands shot to the back of her head. Just as Ali's tongue began making its way toward his and her violently shaking hand made its way to the nape of his neck she was jerked from him, their lips disconnecting with a smack.

Edward hissed at the interruption but was thankful for it at the same time; it felt so right, but so wrong at the same time. A part of him wanted more, wanted to take her in his arms and never stop kissing her, but the more dominate part of him was screaming at him to stop, she was the enemy, it was wrong.

Standing before him was a young wolf, his sweat pants barely pulled up far enough to cover himself. He was shaking violently while singled handedly holding Ali's fighting form behind his body. When Edward's eyes met hers there were tears there. He tried to hear her thoughts, but the screaming thoughts from the boy in front of him made it difficult. Her thoughts were mixed with his and somewhere in between Edward heard her curse Cole Uley, and then thank him for keeping her from doing something she now knew was wrong.

"You dirty son of a bitch, I'll kill you if you even think of touching her again. Eyes on me, prick." The boy known as Cole snapped his fingers in Edward's direction.

Edward's eyes shot to his, black and full of anger. "Cole took a step forward pulling Ali who now had one hand wrapped around his waist with him. Jake is going to kill you for this, you touched her, made her kiss you.. You sick piece of shi…"

Ali's hand shot around covering the boys mouth before he could finish his sentence, while the other flattened across his bare stomach attempting to hold him in place. His heart skipped a beat at that. Edward's head cocked to the side at the sound, it was then Edward was able to sort thought the thoughts and he heard it. A string of thoughts only centered on Ali. His Ali, how could she have done that to him, he wanted to be her first kiss and now she was ruined by this leech, there had better not be anything wrong with her, protect Ali, kiss Ali, love Ali."

Edward's eyes grew wide at the last thought and they bored into his while turning into slits, the boy snarled knowing what Edward was doing, but not caring at the same time, he dared Edward to say a word.

So he did, "Ali" the boy snarled as the words slipped from his lips, "it seems that Cole here is upset with your actions," Cole took another step toward Edward his eyes turning black too. He was mumbling curses at Edward from under Ali's clasped hand.

"It seems the pup has feelings for you and thinks I stole his kiss. He doesn't like it, he thinks you're his."

Cole lunged forward, his fist had shot out but was unable to connect with Edward's jaw as he flashed backwards. Edward could see the muscles in Ali's arms quivering as she tried to hold him back, but her eyes were wide at what Edward had just revealed.

"Is that true?" Ali whispered into Cole's back. His posture quickly changed causing them both stumble back away from Edward.

Cole's pointed finger made Edward hiss under his breath, "You will pay for this."

Edward nodded his head toward them both, "I'm sure I will. You should thank me, at least she knows how you feel now."

Edward heard a snarl and a sharp intake of breath as he darted off into the trees; no sooner than he got into the forest he was streaking back to the two young wolves that were now yelling at each other. His approach caught Cole's attention and he swung around in a crouch thinking Edward was going to attack.

"Cole, phase. Tell the others to come, Ali your phone." Edward's hand flashed out toward her as Cole snarled.

Ali threw her phone in Edward's direction, Cole stood watching as Edward dialed the number it wasn't until Edward spoke into the phone that he phased. The words sliced through him and straight to his wolf.

"Alice, they're here."


	25. Chapter 23

_**A/N: Just want to say sorry for how long it took to get this one up. I am just no good when it comes to fight scenes and this one really kicked my butt. But I'm back and this is a pretty long chapter, I've got 18 pages in this one, so I hope you all enjoy!**_

**Chapter 23**

Cole was aggravated today. Emily knew it, Aidan knew it, and as soon as Sam pulled up the gravel drive, he knew it too. Making his way toward the house he could hear his oldest son pacing back and forth in his room, and if he kept it up he would probably wear a hole in the hardwood floor and land on top of Emily's table. It had been a long time since Sam had to fix that table and he didn't want to start back up again. Before he even made it half way up the walk he called out for Cole. As soon as he did he heard the pacing stop, and then his son muttered something under his breath that even Sam couldn't hear. Not long after, he heard a door slam, Emily scold him, his not so apologetic reply and a chuckle from Aidan.

Letting the screen door slam on the front door, Cole stomped down the steps toward his father. When he got there he stood near Sam, his eyes angry. "Are you going to be able to control yourself tonight Cole?"

Cole snorted at him while looking to the left at the forest, "Sure thing, Dad why wouldn't I, you know catching up with the leeches sounds like a blast."

"Cole," although Sam wasn't Alpha anymore-hadn't been for years-there was still enough timbre in his voice for his son's wolf to cower, enough to know that Sam meant business.

Cole's eyes snapped to Sam's as his arms dropped from his chest, "I just want to get this over with; I don't want the bloodsuckers around here anymore."

Sam nodded his head at his son, he knew he was telling the truth, but Sam also had this feeling there was more to it than just wanting the leeches gone.

"We're meeting with the Cullens at six, lets go in and eat then we'll meet the rest of the pack at Jake's and head to the clearing."

Sam could see Cole's eyes begin to squint before his fist clinched, "I'm not hungry I think I'll just head down to the beach and meet you at Jake's in a while."

Sam studied his son's face, his hands and body language, he was hiding something he was sure of it. It made him wish Cole would talk to him, but when he got like this, got upset about something, he would have to work it through on his own or at least attempt it before he came to anyone about it. Thing was, Cole always talked to Emily first about what was going on with him, and when Sam got home last night to his son doing the same thing as he was today, he had asked Emily if she knew what was going on with him. Sadly, she shook her head no.

Aidan, on the other hand, knew what was going on. Once Jake had allowed them to phase back, all of them did, all of the wolves were angry, all of them cussing and trying to work out a plan of attack, but Cole was quiet, too quiet for Aidan's liking and when he asked him about it, his brother tackled him and held him in the dirt while snarling over him. Apparently he didn't want attention brought to him. Once Aidan nipped at his front leg, Cole let him up but phased back human, punched a tree and took off running toward La Push. All the wolves had stopped and watched the exchanged, but when Aidan tried his best to shrug his lupine shoulders, they were off again.

When he got home that night, he asked Cole what his problem was and all he said was Ali. Then it clicked, the way Cole was acting, the snarl that almost startled Aidan when Ali imprinted, that came form his brother. Cole had a crush on Ali. Aidan being the good younger brother that he was wouldn't say anything; one because Cole probably would beat his ass for real if he did and two because Cole was a big boy; if he wanted to tell someone he would.

Sam took stock of his son once more before taking a breath, "You know Cole, if you need to talk to us about something-anything-we're here."

Cole nodded his head curtly while looking at the path that led down to the beach.

"You can go, but don't go far from the rez. We don't want any of you kids far from town. Six o'clock at Jakes." Before Sam was finished Cole was plowing across the yard toward the beach. Sam shook his head turned on his heel and began walking back across the yard following the smell of Emily's fried chicken.

Cole was half way down to the beach when the scent hit his nostrils. Fists clenched, he stopped dead in his tracks, stuck his nose further into the air and took a long pull; lemon and lavender. The thought instantly pissed him off and he punched the tree that was nearest to him, not even wincing when he felt his knuckles push back from the force.

Cole tuned on his heel and began crashing through the trees following the scent. When it got further away from the reservation then he knew it was supposed to be, he snarled out of frustration and took off at an even faster clip. When he got to a patrol line he stopped and smelled again, Embry was patrolling today and so was Quil, but their scent wasn't heavy, they hadn't been on this side of the reservation in a while, the lemon lavender scent wasn't strong either.

Cole crossed over the patrol line. As he did so, he let his eyes scan either side of him and out in front, he didn't see anything, so he hesitantly began following the scent. He was on their territory now so he couldn't phase which left his skin crawling and his wolf growling under the surface. He had never been on Cullen territory, other than Forks on his own, but this was different. This was the woods and the Cullens were actually back. He could smell them.

Taking in his surroundings, Cole figured out where Ali was headed, what he couldn't figure out was why; more so why wasn't anyone here with her?

It was then that he heard Ali yelling. His feet began running before his mind caught up and as he crashed through the trees he saw the bronze-headed leech bending his head toward Ali, and then their lips connected. His wolf snarled and took off at a run that left Cole shocked. Just as Ali's hand began to lift Cole reached the pair and jerked her from the leech's hold.

He was shaking, trying to keep himself from phasing. His skin was hotter than it normally was, covered in dirt and grit from the forest. His eyes never left the leech, even as Ali was squirming and fighting behind him. He could feel her punching his shoulder blades, but it didn't hurt, his wolf was snarling at him, he couldn't make out the words that were coming out of his mouth, all he was worried about was Ali. It was then that his body lurched forward, taking Ali with him. She wasn't fighting anymore and the moment her hand splayed across his abs and her soft hand slapped over his mouth his heart skipped a beat. She had never touched him like this. His mind shifted gears and began working through what he had just seen. Ali was kissing the leech. That was supposed to be his kiss, not the bloodsuckers. Was she ok? He had to make sure she was ok, Ali was his, he loved Ali not the leech, and he didn't deserve her anyway. Cole was pissed when Ali imprinted, he was surprised Edward hadn't heard his thoughts screaming no, or the pack for that matter. He had been snarling like a rabid beast as he stood back and watched her imprint.

He could feel the vampire in front of him shifting through his thoughts and then a gleam sparked in his eye. When Ali's name flowed out of the leech's mouth, Cole couldn't contain the snarl that ripped through his throat. Then the bastard did it, every thing Cole had been thinking was ousted by the vampire. It pissed Cole off that his feelings and thoughts about Ali were out now, there for her to know, and he wasn't the one to tell her. He took yet another step forward.

When he felt her grip on his arm tighten, and then her breath fanned across his back, it was all that he could do to keep his heart in check, and his body from turning around and pining her to the closest solid surface and giving her the kiss that she really deserved.

As the threat slipped from Cole's lips, the vampire with the cocky look on his face turned and darted into the forest leaving he and a now panting Ali in his wake.

She jerked on his arm once more and Cole slowly turned to look at her. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, which nearly broke his heart, and then he caught the scent of the vampire and his wolf was snarling again. His wolf didn't like that Ali was covered in the vampire's scent, but Cole was pissed that Ali had gone against Leah's orders and left La Push. Not only that, she had went into _their_ territory looking for _him_.

Cole grabbed Ali's arms and slammed her body against his naked chest, his teeth bared, "What the fuck do you think you're doing Ali, coming here on their land looking for him? Why did you kiss him, what are you thinking?"

The wolf knew he wasn't hurting her, but Cole was losing control. He wanted answers, wanted to know why she did what she did, and when her normally wide innocent doe eyes turned angry and then into slits, Cole knew he was in for it.

"That is none of our damn business Cole Uley, who the hell do you think you are coming here and interrupting my conversation?"

"Are you serious? Your conversation, it didn't look like there was any talking going on to me. Why the fuck were you kissing him Sarah?"

Ali's eyes grew wide at Cole using her given name and then shoved him back from her. He went of course, but didn't let go of her arms so she was instantly crashing back into his chest. He was so warm and the smell of him when he was angry was something Ali's wolf couldn't ignore. The thought alone pissed Ali off.

"Don't you call me that, and get your hands off me right now or so help me Cole…, "her sentence was cut off then by Cole whipping around, a vicious growl coming from his throat as he crouched down in a protective stance in front of Ali.

* * *

Edward was running toward them, nothing but a white blur, she could smell him she knew it was him. He was telling Cole to phase and then yelling at her for her phone. She threw it to him not knowing what was going on, and then the words slipped from his lips and she froze.

_They were coming._

* * *

Ali's hand shot out to Cole just as he phased and her hand threaded into the fur on his back. It was calming to her, she didn't want to let go. Cole let out the howl.

Edward snapped the phone shut and started toward her, but Cole jumped forward and snapped at him. The action had Ali stumbling into his wolf frame. Edward stared at Ali, trying to take her in his head, cocked from one side to the other, and then his eyes met Cole's.

If you've warned your pack you should change back now, she's is scared. There was a howl just then off in the distance, his pack was coming. Cole looked back at Edward before turning to Ali, looking into her eyes he could see the worry. He phased immediately. Her eyes went wide when she saw Cole's naked back, she wanted to take her eyes away but she couldn't. He slowly uncurled himself and before Ali could blink he was in front of her. He was close enough that she couldn't see anything, but far enough away that she wouldn't allow her eyes to wonder.

"What are we going to do Cole, we don't even know how to fight them yet or how many there are?"

"Hey shhh Sarah we're going to be fine, the pack is coming, the lee- Edward called his Coven, they're coming we'll be fine." Cole said while turning his head giving Edward a look, wanting him to help calm her fears.

"I've never… We've never been around more than three or four, what if there are more Cole?"

Cole couldn't take the look on her face any longer, the tears glistening in her eyes; he took a step toward her and reached out to her. As his fingers braided through her hair, her breath caught, his naked body was pressed against hers. She could feel his heat, all of his heat. He ran his thumbs down her hairline and over her temple making their way down to her jaw. Dropping his forehead to hers their eyes locked, "Sarah you need to keep safe ok, please." Then his lips were crashing down on hers. She gasped when his tongue made it's way into her mouth and she found her own pushing into his, wrestling with it. His grip on her neck got tighter as he drew her closer, the space between them was non-existent. When her hands slid around his lower back he stilled for a second and then his kiss grew into a frenzy. She couldn't breathe, didn't want to really, when his mouth disconnected from hers she whimpered. "Sarah," her insides clenched, no one ever called her that, "baby," that either. "Stay safe, we're doing _that_ again." Cole took a step back from Ali, phased and ran to join the pack that had just made it out of the woods.

Ali's fingers pressed to her swollen, still tingling lips and smiled. That should have been her first kiss.

* * *

CJ leaned back in the kitchen chair and rubbed his aching stomach, he didn't think he had ever been this full, ever. It surprised him that when they had walked past on the way to the beach he didn't smell the roast cooking in the house; it shocked him when it was actually still there, what with Seth working just a few yards from the house out in the wood shop.

Bella had put two huge roasts on before she left for Charlie's house that morning and when they got in she quickly went about making the macaroni, peas and cornbread. It wasn't long after the clanking around in the kitchen had caught Seth's attention and then, ever so slowly, all the wolves made their way over to Jake's house, like her roast was a beacon for them. Every time the door to the house would open her heart rate would pick up thinking it was Jake, but once nearly every member of the pack was in the house she lost hope. Maybe he went ahead to the clearing.

Turning slowly around from the pack, most of which were sitting at the table that Bella didn't know could extend to fit nearly all of them, she began to slowly clean the dishes in the oversized sink. She was just getting ready to turn and grab one of the pots off the stove when two arms wrapped around her body and jerked her backward. She was yelping before her body slammed into his and then she felt him and smelled him. Her body melted into his and then his hot lips pressed into the back of her neck at the very top of her spine where her scar started and she couldn't help but sigh. Jake was home.

Jake's arms wrapped around her more, but he pushed her forward into the counter. Her hands smacked down on the top while he ground his hips into her, he was hard, Bella shuddered. Jake pushed his hips into her backside a few more times before she turned her head to catch a kiss. When their lips separated, Jake turned her and that's when she noticed they were alone in the kitchen.

Her hands slowly started to pop the buttons of his work shirt, she could hear the rumble low in his chest. His hands gripped her hips as he hauled her onto the counter. When Bella got down to his belt, her fingers slowly worked it open. Jake sucked in his breath enough for her fingers to dip down into his pants and then she popped the button. As she slowly began to tug his shirt up he helped her by ripping it off his shoulders. When the last two buttons of the shirt were opened it fell to the floor at his ankles.

Bella took him in, his burning eyes, that smile on his face. Who could witness that smile his pearly white teeth those pink full lips and not want to smile right back at him? She let her hands run up and along his shoulders before she pressed her chest into his. He wasn't moving but she could feel the muscles in his back bend and flex under the tips of her fingers. God she loved this man. As her flat hands curled in, her nails raked down his back and she felt him shudder when she pulled back just slightly. She took note that his nipples were hard. Was it weird of her to be turned on so much by a man's nipples? She really wasn't sure. Sticking a finger in her mouth, she twirled it around, looking at him innocently. His eyes were on fire now, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. She pulled her finger out with a pop and slowly circled his peak with a wet digit. Just as her mouth began to descend toward the peak she heard a grunt. Her head snapped up scanning the kitchen as Jake's shot around. There, sitting on a kitchen chair watching them, was Paul. That stupid smirk on his face and damn if he wasn't holding a bowl of… was that popcorn?

Jake's hands came around Bella and he pulled her near. He was snarling at Paul now who was only chuckling at Jake like was loosing his mind. When Jake took a step toward Paul Bella felt a buzz across her skin and the hair on her arms was standing on end. Paul must have felt it too, because the smirk dropped from his face, his eyes lowered to the floor and before she knew it he was standing and then walking out of the kitchen without looking back.

She looked at Jake who still had his teeth bared; he was staring out the front door where Paul had just disappeared. Bella's hands cupped his cheeks and slowly pulled his face around to meet her. His lips dropped and, although the smile wasn't there, he didn't look quite as mincing this way, "You didn't have to do that, Jake." He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Really Jake, he is just being stupid, it's no big deal, he didn't see anything."

"He's my damn brother-in-law Bella, he's married to my sister, and he keeps perving on us. He needs to stop, it's pissing me off."

"It's only been twice."

"Three times," Jake grit out.

"What?" Bella nearly squeaked.

"The first night Bells, he was there the first night too."

Bella's eyes grew wide, her heart started hammering in her chest. Jake could see the flush slowly start making its way up her chest. She pushed at him and launched herself off the counter, screaming Paul's name. They both could hear the howls of laughter outside.

Jake grabbed onto Bella's wrist before she could march out the door, and pulled her back toward him. He dropped a searing kiss to her forehead and smiled, "I need to get ready honey. Go out and wait by CJ and I'll be down in a few."

He could see her face drop as he said the words, "Bells, if you go upstairs with me, we won't come back down and we have to meet with the Cullens."

Bella nodded her head again, stood on her toes and kissed Jake. Her kiss was heated enough that he allowed his arms to wrap around her, his palms digging into her hips and then she pulled back, shot him a wink, and walked out the door to the now-hooting pack.

* * *

Jake walked down the steps in his cutoffs and scanned the pack meeting, each member was either leaning against trees or cars, "Where are Ali and Cole?"

"She went to the beach."

"He went to the beach."

Both Sam and CJ said in unison.

"I didn't see her at the beach when we were down there, CJ, did you?" Bella said as she took a step toward her son. It was then that CJ realized that he hadn't seen his sister, "No, I haven't seen her either."

"How long ago did Cole go down there, Sam?" Jake said pulling his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans.

"It wasn't long after school. I had just gotten home from work. He was pretty worked up about last night still, I think."

"What happened last night?" Jake asked, handing his phone over to Bella. "Call her, see if you can get her on the phone. She's number two."

Jake could see a grin slowly spread across each of his pack members faces, minus Sam, Bella and CJ. "Well what is it?" Jake asked in irritation.

Paul of course was the one to step forward with a smirk growing on his face. He shot a look toward Aidan and Sam before his face turned back toward Jake, "Well, it seems that my niece has an admirer and he didn't like that she imprinted on a leech last night. Had him worked up pretty good on the run home from the clearing."

"What?" Jake Sam and CJ nearly screamed in unison while Bella shook her head.

"Yep," Aidan said popping the P, "we were running home and everyone was going on about what we should do about the Cullens and I noticed Cole wasn't saying anything, so I asked him what was up. He freaking attacked me, phased back human and ran home. He was pissed. Didn't you guys hear him when Ali imprinted?"

All heads snapped toward him in question, "He freaked out when she imprinted, I guess I'm not surprised anyone heard that. Pretty much everyone, including the vamps, were freaking out. Yeah, he's got a thing for Ali."

Bella's soft voice interrupted the bunch, "I can't get a hold of her, it keeps going to voicemail." Bella tucked the phone back into her pocket.

"Aidan, since you know what's going on, go down to the beach and look for Ali and Cole. Brady, go with him, we need to get to the clearing. I want to be there before the Cullens."

Bella looked on as the pack split. The girls walked to one side of the house to phase and the guys stripped right there. With a squeak, Bella's hands slapped over her eyes. She didn't want to see all of that. She could hear Jake's chuckle and then the buzz in the air as the wolves phased. When a wet nose met her neck she squealed and jumped away, it was Jake of course. Standing there Jake had that dopey look on his face and Bella couldn't help but run her hand between his ears and scratch. His head pushed into her hand as her scratching got harder and his chest began to rumble as well, "If you roll over on your belly and I scratch, will you kick your leg Jake?" She could see his wolfy eyes squint and the, he snorted, spraying her face with his snot. Before she could even get her sleeve to her face, he licked up along entire right side of her cheek.

Bella rocked back on the heels of her feet, her hands began to flap in the air and then she hit a wall of fur, looking over her shoulder she could tell that it was CJ, she pushed off of him nervous as of to what he was going to do, after all the last time she saw his wolf he was hovering over her with his jaws clamped around her throat.

CJ lowered himself to the ground, his belly dragging, and made his way to where Bella was standing clutching Jake's side. He made a little yip sound that had Bella looking at Jake in question. Jake pushed her forward with his massive head. When Bella got closer CJ slowly rose to meet her hand and almost made a purring sound when she scratched him between the ears, just like she had done Jake.

With a swing of his head CJ caught Bella's attention once more, "What is it boy?" she could hear the wolfy snorts behind her. Jake pushed her toward CJ once more, while his head swung backward and he lowered himself to the ground again.

"Oh, the wolf taxi." Bella could have sworn she saw him roll his eyes at that but he was lying on the ground now and Jake was nudging her with his nose again. CJ wasn't nearly as big as Jake was but when she climbed on she realized that he was big enough to feel like she was riding a small pony. When she took a deep breath and grabbed on to his fur, he shot up jostling her, and then he shook out, nearly knocking Bella off. She could feel the skin on his back move as he got comfortable with someone being back there.

It was then the other wolves came around the side of the house, Jake walked out front, CJ on one side of him Leah's wolf on the other, and the pack began to move, dipping into the forest. Once they were far enough into the trees, they began a steady pace toward the clearing. Bella lowered her body against CJ so she wouldn't get whacked with a limb.

They were more than halfway across the reservation when Brady and Aidan caught up with them and just over the treaty line when they heard the warning howl. CJ's body jerked to a stop, Jake's head swung toward CJ his eyes darted from his sons to Bella's and then they were running, crashing through the trees toward the clearing. Jake kept looking in their direction. Bella could hear his growls and CJ's in response. When they got close enough to smell Ali's scent on the breeze, Jake let out a howl and took off like a shot. It was only seconds before he was crashing through the trees of the clearing. What he saw in front of him though, had him skidding to a stop. His paws digging into the dirt, he was stunned. His daughter was kissing a very naked Cole in the clearing as Edward looked into the trees in the direction of Forks. When the rest of the pack sidled up beside him, he realized that they were all phased and Bella was walking was between CJ and Sam.

Sam's eyes were wide and CJ was snarling. Both Jake and CJ started to step forward before Bella's hand grabbed Jake's fur and her arm slapped down onto CJ's forearm. Jake stilled his movements, but kept his eyes glued to the scene before him. CJ looked down at Bella, his eyes angry. It was then that Cole's head snapped to the side. Meeting Jake's eyes, he took a step back from Ali, phased, and darted over to stand by his father's side. The pack watched as Ali smiled and ran the pad of her finger across her lips. Then she turned toward them, a flush to her cheeks, and slowly, head held high, walked toward them.

* * *

Once the pack was complete, Jake darted into the woods and phased back. He was running to the middle of the clearing to meet Edward when the Cullens came running to the woods. The pack quickly moved forward, an invisible line was drawn between the two.

"They should have been here by now; I was only a mile or two into the forest when I heard them. All of them were thinking one thing and that was to kill, that's all they were thinking. They were coming up the creek, and fast." Edward's eyes never left Jake's as he spoke.

Jake held his hand up to silence the growls from his pack, they could hear screaming in the distance and water being splashed about, the vamps were close, but what was the screaming? Jasper was only able to tell the pack not let the newborns get their arms around them and not to go for the obvious kill before the rabid vampires were crashing through the trees.

Bella's hand clasped on to Jake's before he shook it away, phasing as he leapt toward the center of the clearing. The Cullens were running in the direction of the newborns, it was mayhem. Wolves were phasing left and right, the forest floor was slowly being covered by scraps of clothing. It almost looked like confetti falling from the sky. Her body was jerked into CJ's grasp and he was running away from the fight. It was then that she saw Jake take down a vamp that very well could have been twice Jake's human size, and that was saying something. Bella watched on as Jake bit into the tattooed neck of the newborn and with a shake of his massive head, and the vampire's head fell to the ground.

Just as Jake's wolf went for another vampire, CJ was jerking to a halt. It was then that Bella realized there was a reason for it. Her head whipped around and there, standing in front of her, was Riley. Her breath caught. She could have passed out. The flashes of his sinister smile made their way to the forefront of her mind and she felt CJ stiffen even more. She looked down and saw that her hand was gripping his forearm and she knew that she had just accidentally shown CJ more of her memories.

His teeth were bared, his grip on Bella was so tight that it hurt. She didn't dare ask him to let her go though, she was just to scared, "I won't," CJ grit out through clenched teeth. Bella balled her hand into a fist not wanting CJ to witness any more.

It was then that Riley slowly began to circle them both; Bella felt CJ match Riley's circle, never losing sight of him. Turning her head, she was able to take Riley in for the first. His eyes couldn't possibly be more red, his white skin was covered with dry blood and dirt, his clothes were worn and tattered. It was then Bella recognized his coat. One arm was flat, the arm he was missing should have been there, but that coat was one Bella would never forget. It was Victoria's. How he got it out of the house Bella didn't know, she really didn't care. Just the sight of it made her blood run cold.

Riley stopped mid-stride and sneer, Bella gasped at the sight. Blood was covering his teeth, she could see it now in the corner of his mouth, "Oh Bella, it's been a long time since I've seen you."

CJ took a step, "Don't you dare speak to her." Bella could feel the buzz on her skin almost like the feeling she got when Jake was about to place an order. She could see the spit fly from CJ's mouth as he spoke to Riley.

"If that's how you want it then, mutt," Riley's arm shot out and sliced into CJ's rib right beside where Bella was being held. She wasn't sure if the cut was meant for her or CJ, but it had him snarling while dropping Bella's hand. His hand was splayed over the cut on his ribs, and the other was pushing Bella behind his back.

Riley lunged at CJ once more, but this time CJ's bloody hand shot out and connected with his jaw. Riley stumbled back just a bit before he shot forward again, tackling CJ to the ground. Bella's body was thrown backward where she landed on her back. The air was knocked from her lungs. Peeling her eyes open she saw Riley and CJ wrestling on the ground, CJ was still in human form.

"CJ, phase!" Bella screamed as she tried to scramble toward the two. CJ was lying on his back holding Riley's arm with one hand and his chest with the other, keeping Riley above him. His elbows were locked, but the force Riley was using had his arms quivering.

"Damn it, phase CJ!" Bella was trying to make her way toward him, clutching at the dirt. As she crawled toward him, a force slammed into her back causing her face to hit the ground, and for the first time Bella was thankful that it rained so much in Forks. The side of her face only sunk into the mud.

Lifting her head, Bella looked up through her lashes in time to see CJ's arms violently shaking and she prayed that he was going to phase. It was when his arm snapped at the elbow she realize she was wrong, "CJ!" Bella wailed toward her son as Riley's fist connected with CJ's nose. Blood was spurting out before he turned his head to miss another blow.

"Please, phase!"

"Have to protect you," he grit out, still fighting Riley.

"Phase now!" Bella screeched as she finally got to her feet and began running toward him, her hand outstretched.

Rolling over into the fetal position, CJ's body began to convulse and then he was a wolf. His left leg hung limp, he was trying to dart away from Riley as best he could on three legs, but it wasn't working. Riley kicked CJ's good front leg out from under him and the wolf fell. Then he was on him, Riley's arm was pulling clumps of fur from CJ's pelt while his legs locked around his back. Then, his face lowered, his teeth bared, he prepared to go in for the kill.

Bella reached and, without even thinking, slapped her hand down onto Riley's cold shoulder.

Cole had already beheaded one vampire, but his mind was elsewhere. He hadn't seen Ali since he bound away from her. He didn't know if she was safe or hurt, but he had to find out. Jumping away from his latest kill so that one of the younger pups could completely dismember it, Cole scanned the clearing. He saw his father's wolf fighting with the pixie taking on newborns from the left and right. She was practically pressed into his side, but they were working like a well-oiled machine, their only thoughts on the task at hand. He could see the rage in Jake's eyes. He was in a zone of sorts snapping heads off shoulders in the blink of an eye. He wasn't even waiting for the bodies to hit the ground before he was charging at the next. The panic slowly began to build as he kept scanning the clearing for Ali. Each of his brothers were finishing off the vamps as the older wolves fought along side the Cullens. Their fighting style was different, the wolves would go in with full force jaws snapping, claws shredding into the marble skin of the newborns. Watching the Cullens, Cole saw the blonde practically dancing around her opponent, while the big one played it like a wrestling match. The smile on his face only got wider each time his newborn would lunge at him and miss. He saw Ali's wolf form then, lying in the dirt, Edward Cullen standing over her fighting off a very young looking female vampire.

Cole found himself racing toward Ali, the smell of burning vampire making his wolf snort and gag. His paws hit the ground and just when he was ready to launch over one of his pack brothers finishing off a leech, he felt a weight slam into his side and attach it's self to his neck. With a twist and a yelp, Cole rolled over the vampire, causing it's head to crack into a boulder. The force didn't hurt the vampire, but it stunned it long enough that Cole was able to wiggle his neck out from it's grasp and then his head shot to the side and his teeth sunk into the left side of the vampires face. His teeth clenched together and, with a jerk of his head, half of the vampires face was gone.

Back on his feet, Cole raced toward Ali. Edward was trying to hold off the vampire as best as he could. When Cole got close enough, he clamped down onto Ali's tail. Jerking back, her body slid between Edward's legs and came to a stop under Cole's chest. Gently, Cole bit down onto Ali's scruff and slowly stood at full height. Although Cole was big, Ali was too and still half of her body was dragging the ground between his front paws. As Cole made his way closer to the forest, he tripped on her hind legs and fell on her more than once before he was able to get the hang of it. He carried her like this until they were under the cover of the forest, and near the creek the leeches had used as their cover. Bending his head forward, he placed Ali's body on the ground, her muzzle near the water. Phasing back human, Cole began scooping water from the creek and let it trickle over her muzzle. After the fourth time, he saw her nose twitch and relief flooded through him.

Gathering water in his hands again, Cole let it trickle down her nose and into the flap of her lip that was open. With a snort, Ali's head shot up, her feet trying to grab traction against the rocks under her. Her quick, jerky movements had Cole falling backward into the water. When he quickly began to right himself Ali pulled her lips back into a snarl, her teeth gleaming in the light. Cole lowered himself back down to her height and locked eyes with her. He could see her eyes try to dart from side to side, to take in her surroundings. When hers finally settled on his, the movement ceased. Ali shuddered and whined and then was laying naked in front of Cole, rolled into a ball.

Cole shot out of the water and to her side; before she could comprehend what he was doing, he had hauled her into his naked lap. Her eyes grew wide at the thought of being naked in front of a man, in front of Cole of all people, and then she buried her face in his chest. She could feel his shudder and his arms wrap around her tighter. The feel of his body against hers had her self conscious, she knew that Cole wasn't looking at her nakedness, nor was he excited, she could feel him pressed up against her hip. She had never seen a man naked and no one had seen her this way either, it was just uncomfortable all around. His hand was smoothing down the back of her hair as he whispered more to himself that she was ok.

Pulling her head back, she looked into his eyes. Tears were pooling at the lids, some sitting on the tips of his eye lashes, others rolling slowly down his face. "Sarah," her heart clenched, "I thought I told you to be safe. Are you ok? Talk to me please, tell me you're ok."

She didn't have words, the look on his face nearly broke her heart. She nodded her head and then pressed her face back into his chest.

He squeezed her tighter, then lowering his mouth to the top of her head, "Please just say it, one word, let me know."

"Cole," his grip increased, "I'm… I'm ok, what happened?"

He didn't answer her though, the knot in his throat was much to large to swallow so he kissed her head once more, pulled her closer to his body and thanked the spirits that he had gotten her to safety.

* * *

Jake scanned the clearing as he slung the vampire out of his jaws. The torso landed at one of the pup's paws and he made quick work of finishing off the vampire. There were stone body parts littering the clearing as far as he could see. Both Paul and Sam were fighting with a newborn of their own as were some of the Cullens. The ones that weren't busy in the middle of battle were picking up the pieces that littered the forest floor and throwing them into the huge bonfires dotted all around the clearing. Jake's eyes met the bronze head that he knew was Edward's. The last time that he had seen Ali she was fighting a newborn that had come charging up behind him. He couldn't see his daughter in the melee and he started to panic. His eyes scanned each and every wolf. Three were missing: his daughter, his son, Cole and then there was Bella, she was missing too.

Jake was praying that CJ had taken Bella and run back with her to the rez like he had told him to do if things got too bad. He wanted Bella protected and with CJ on the reservation, the other imprints would be protected too. It was a plan that he had come up with the second they heard Cole's warning howl. Jake wanted CJ to turn tail and run with Bella, but they didn't know what was going on, or if the newborns were splitting up to find her. The other wolves were in a panic about their mates and imprints, but from what Cole said, the newborns were coming and Ali was in the clearing with them. He had to get to his daughter.

Jake's eyes continued to scan the forest when he saw it, the bright purple hoodie that Bella was wearing was just within the tree line, clear across the battlefield. With a roar, Jake took off running, leaping through plumes of smoke as he tried to make his way to his mate. His eyes never left the back of her coat. She was shuffling around trying to get away from something. He wished desperately that his wolf would allow him to see the bigger picture but he couldn't. His body slammed into something strong and solid on his trek to get to Bella, but he didn't pay it any mind. His mate was in trouble, his son was in trouble, and he had to get to them.

Jake was more than halfway across the clearing when he heard Bella scream and saw her body fly through the trees and fall limply into the soft ground. Jake didn't realize at the time, but he roared so loud that everyone in the clearing froze for the slightest beat before they started to fight again. His legs were burning, he had to get there. It felt like he was in slow motion. He didn't know why it was taking him so long to get to her.

He saw her scramble to her stomach and start to army crawl toward CJ as she yelled at him to phase and then a wolf, a young black one-Aidan- stepped right onto her back as he fought a vampire that was trying to get to her. He didn't know weather he wanted to thank him or kill him. As Bella continued to yell at CJ, his eyes shot to his son who was now holding the one-armed vampire at bay. He could see his arms shaking and then one of them snap.

Bella wailed his name, scrambled to her feet and ran at him. He rolled over, doing like she had demanded and phased, but his front leg was contorted in a way that Jake almost winced at. When the vampire attacked Jake picked up speed. He made it to the group just as Bella had slapped a hand onto Riley's shoulder. The thought of his mate touching one of those things had Jake seeing red. He leapt over Bella, fitting his jaws around the vampire's head just as he began to wail and shudder. Her hand never left Riley's shoulder and even though his head was detached from his body, it was still wailing and screeching. Jake spat the head from his mouth, phased and ran at Bella, but stood frozen when he saw her eyes. They were wide and swarming black and what Jake could have sworn was red, her teeth were clenched together, her hand fisting the dirty jacket. She wasn't letting go. Her chest was heaving, her body started to shake. Taking a step toward her, Bella's head snapped in his direction and she hissed at him, the sound made his skin crawl. It sounded so much like _them_.

Her eyes were still on Jake, her tiny white teeth bared. He could see the sheen of sweat across what little skin that he could see, tears were leaking from her eyes, but still she wouldn't let go. Someone came up behind her and touched her shoulder. When a loud curse brought his attention to the hand, he noticed that Emmett was holding on to her, trying to get her away from Riley, but he was stuck too. It reminded Jake of someone being electrocuted and he knew then that she was warning him not to touch her. Emmett hadn't fared as well.

Squeezing her eyes shut, he could tell Bella was fighting it now, trying to get her hand off of Riley. Her eyes shot wide open, they were back to the beautiful chocolate brown he loved. She mouthed "help" to Jake just before her eyes rolled back into her head and all three of them fell to the forest floor.

As soon as she hit, Jake lunged forward and scooped her off the ground. Her limbs were locked tight, she was still shaking it was as if her entire body was having a muscle spasm, and then she just went limp with a whimper. Jake fought to adjust her in his arms, but her body was splayed out. As he cradled her to his chest, he looked down at his now whining son who was nudging Bella's limp hand. He continued to nudge and lick her palm until she whimpered again. This time she was able to fling her arm over his shoulder before her body went limp again.

Not sure of what to do, Jake wheeled himself around in search of the one person he knew could help, "Carlisle!" he bellowed toward the doctor who was now kneeling in front of Rose reattaching a hand that she had lost. He took in the sight, the fight was over all of the wolves that weren't badly injured were scrambling to get the pieces picked up and thrown into the fire. The Cullens were attending to the injured.

Carlisle's head shot up, the rest of his body followed and he was standing in front of a now shaking Jake looking over Bella. When his paper white fingers went to reach her pulse point, Jake bared his teeth and snapped at him. "I have to touch her to make sure that she's alright."

Jake felt his grip tighten on Bella's rib cage, he grit his teeth and nodded his head. Carlisle's hand found her pulse point and he hummed to himself. "She's warm, we have to get her back to the house and give her her medicine. I'm not sure what happened, you need to tell me everything that happened, to the both of you." He said while looking down at CJ. "If you phase back I can set that arm of yours as well, you don't want it to heal too much or we'll have to re-break the bones." CJ looked at Jake who nodded his head again.

* * *

Phasing back hurt like hell for CJ. So much, that he landed on his side with a loud curse. He was clutching his ribs and his arm. He didn't want to move, the moment he felt ice cold hands on his arm, his head snapped toward Carlisle with every intent of taking off the limbs, but his head was jerked back toward the sky. His eyes met honey gold ones and an idiotic smile.

"Right here kid, you don't want to see this." CJ's eyes went into slits as the Cullen held his head straight, "Better get this done, Carlisle the kid isn't going to let me hold him here all day."

"I have to find sticks to immobilize the wound, Emmett." Carlisle hissed back at him.

Emmett, being Emmett, winked at CJ before a smirk appeared on his face, "He's kind of touchy, eh kid. You're not doing so bad. Rosie was pitching a fit when he was putting her hand back on," and then there was a loud crack as Emmett's head jerked sideways. He let out a curse before looking back down at CJ, "Ready kid? This is gonna hurt," and then pain something like CJ had never known, shot down his body as his bone was pushed back through his skin and his arm was set.

As soon as Carlisle was done, Emmett shot backwards waiting for CJ to leap up and attempt an attack, but he just laid there, his broken but healing arm off to the side, his other hand fisting the dirt beside him. When Rose made a step toward him, Emmett jerked her back by the shoulder only to be hissed at. "Ok, ok, but if he bites your hand off again it's on you, Rose."

She walked over to CJ, hovering over his body. Peeling his eyes open, he could see her face through the curtain of blonde hair. "Here, you might need this." It was a scrap of something that she laid over his lower half while quirking her eyebrow at him. "While that is something to look at, your mother is here and your sister is around here somewhere, too." CJ growled at her the same time he felt a blush creep into his cheeks. Had she really just said that to him?

Closing his eyes, he relaxed at the feeling of the cool dirt on his overly heated and aching back. The battle was over, his mother was in his father's arms and Ali was somewhere just like the leech had said, they were fine.

* * *

Edward was sitting, his back pressed up against a tree, trying his hardest to listen for Ali's voice. He knew that Cole had taken her somewhere to safety, but he wasn't sure where. Those who were uninjured in the pack and most of his family were gathering what parts were left and throwing them into the plumes of smoke, actually laughing and joking with one another when he heard it: a wail off in the distance. He shot to his feet, hissed a warning to them to shut up when he heard the wail again. It was a high pitched feminine wail that he had never heard before. All was silent, all eyes shot in the same direction, the creek. The one that the newborns had made their way up so as not to be recognized, and again he heard it. The wolves started to growl low and deep. His own family hissed and crouched down.

Edward couldn't hear over the thoughts of the wolves and his family, the wolves were thinking it was Ali; his family was thinking that another newborn was trying to escape. The wail could have possibly been from her limbs burning in the fire.

Edward took off through the forest darting over trees and boulders toward the sound. When the wind shifted he stopped dead in his tracks, blood. He could smell it, the venom pooled in his mouth. Although it had been years since he last tasted human blood, he was finding it harder than it had ever been to not bend down and taste it. His body lurched forward before he stopped himself gripping into a tree so hard that it cracked under the pressure. The blood smelled so good to him.

The wail that broke the silence had him moving toward her at a slower pace, just as he had come upon the scene, he heard movement behind him. The pack was behind him in wolf form. His family was behind him as well. He heard a gasp he knew had come from Alice and then he saw it, a vision: Edward was holding this girl in his arms, his naked chest to hers, and then the vision stopped.

"She's turning," Edward hissed through gritted teeth. Looking down at the girl, she was beautiful, she had on short khaki shorts, a pack with a tent attached to it was lying in the dirt to her right, one of her hiking boots was caught in a tree limb and she was laying on her stomach, her strawberry blonde hair was splayed all around her, but there in the dip of her neck was a bite that was oozing blood.

He looked behind him to the wolves, seeing a trail of blood that ran up the creek bed, "She wasn't alone she was with a friend, he's dead down the creek, he was drained and thrown in the water by a newborn. They were too close to finish her off. I can't make out much more than that, she's in too much pain."

A wolf growled and stepped slowly toward the girl that was wailing and squirming in the dirt. _Save her save her like you did Bella._

"I can't do that," Edward said turning his body toward the wolf he knew was Embry.

_You can't or you won't leech?_

"Not all of them can be saved, mutt. It's been too long, there's only a short period of time before the venom actually makes its way so far into her organs that it can't be sucked out. Even if I could do it, I couldn't stop myself from feeding off of her." His last words were cut off by a snarl as Embry stood protectively now over the quivering girl.

_What are we supposed to do then, just sit and watch as she becomes one of you, yet another leech we need to worry about? This one isn't going to have control like the rest of you._

"That or you could kill her right now," the rest of the wolves snarled at him, while Alice whispered "_no"_ in a voice so broken it tugged at him. She pushed her vision of him and this girl at him once more.

"It's going to take three days for her to finish the change, do you want to wait that long before she turns into one of us and you have to fight yet another newborn?"

Embry's head moved from side to side scanning the wolves asking them through their mind link the question that would seal the girl's fate. _What should we do with her? I can't kill her she's still human, at least now._

Edward heard it all then through their thoughts, none of them wanted to kill her, they still saw her as a human girl even though they knew that she was changing into a vampire. None of them knew what to do.

_We can't make this decision; it's for Jake to make. _Leah's thought broke in.

Edward nodded his head at her while he bent down closer to the girl, placing his cool hand on her forehead her wails lessened, only a little bit, and her convulsing body stilled. "I'll stay with her until your Alpha makes his decision."

The wolves looked at Embry and Leah, then back at Edward, "I won't drain her, I have enough control." Edward said with a roll of his eyes. He wasn't so sure even as he answered their question.

The wolves darted off into the trees toward the Cullens' house as the rest of them stayed near him. Alice's eyes were lit up as she walked up to Edward and rubbed his shoulder, "He's not going to make them kill her, Edward. I've seen it remember, she's for you."

When he looked at her, Alice saw the hope and sadness in his eyes, "I'd like to think that's true, Alice."

"We need to go and find her friend, see if there is any possibility that we can make it out like it was an animal attack or if we're going to have to bury him here in the woods." Jasper said to the rest of them.

He looked at Edward, "I know you can do this Edward, I can tell it's hard for you, but you won't drain her, I know you won't." Edward nodded toward Jasper and then his family left him alone with the burning girl.

When Edward knew that his family was gone, he walked slowly over to the girl and untwined her leg from the branch. He threw the branch up against the tree with a resounding crack with a snarl; this shouldn't have to happen to anyone, not like this.

Walking over to the creek, he ripped at what was left of the bottom hem of his shirt and dipped it in the creek. As he waited for the news from Jacob he cleaned the mud and dirt that was caked on her body, slowly revealing just how beautiful the girl really was. Her eyes, what little he saw of them, were green, much like his were when he was human. Her hair was long, reaching to her lower back. As he continued to clean the girl, his cool hands would touch her slowly heating skin and she would still, he wondered if his touch helped her. Once she was as clean as he could get her, he sat at her side holding her hand waiting and hoping.

* * *

The backyard of the Cullens' mansion looked like a MASH unit. While no one was screaming, there were wolves lying in the backyard waiting for Carlisle to help. CJ was amongst them. On his trek over here they had come across Cole and Ali, both of whom were naked, and Ali was in Cole's arms. It did not go over well. CJ, being as he was already injured from the battle, had lost that fight, but as Jake watched Cole attack CJ, he knew there was more to it than CJ being weak, Cole was protecting Ali, from them.

Walking back to the Cullens' was interesting, while Jake had left more than half of his pack back at the clearing, CJ, River, Dakota, Sam, Cole and Ali had made the trek in human form. Dakota and River, being imprinted kept the rest of them fairly entertained. She wouldn't stop stealing glances and giggling and he wouldn't stop strutting around to give her the opportunity. Just as Jake was about to order both of them to phase back, Sam slapped them both on the back of the head, immediately ending their game. CJ was slung over one of Sam's arms, which made their pace slow. As they walked Jake watched Cole. Ali's head was buried in his neck, her cheeks as red as Jake had ever seen them, but she didn't dare look anywhere. Jake had to give it to Cole, knowing what he knew now, he had to give the boy credit. His eyes never wondered, he kept them locked in front of him.

Jake had refused to take Bella back into the house, so Esme had drug a couch outside to lay her on and ripped a moving blanket in half to cover the wolves as they waited. Jake didn't want to leave Bella's side as Carlisle checked her over; with each hum and nod Jake's body would tense, fearing the worst.

"She's warm," was all Carlisle said when he looked up at Jake.

"She's sick, what's wrong with her?" Carlisle could hear the panic in Jake's voice when he spoke.

"She's not sick, Bella hasn't been sick since she has been with us. What little venom is left in her system at this point basically attacks and kills germs before they can even have an effect on her, much like your pack."

"What do you mean she's warm, then?"

"I can feel it on her skin; her body temperature is much higher than it was when she left us just a few days ago."

"So what does that mean, if she's not sick why is she warm, what is warm?"

"When Bella left us her body temperature was borderline hypothermic and it has been on a slow decline since. She's almost at normal range at this point for a human."

"Could it be," Jake stood to his full height looking down at Bella now with wonder in his eyes, "could she be warm because of the imprint, because she's close to me?"

Carlisle looked at Jake watching his moves, "Is it something that is common with your imprints do they warm, does their makeup change?"

"We don't know, nothing physically changes with them. Emily got sick a couple of years ago, but if our imprints are gone from us for too long we start to get twitchy and I've heard the imprints tell their wolves that they don't feel right if they are away from them for more than a day."

"Jacob, it could be a possibility that this could be the case, if what you are telling me is true. She's been gone from you for sixteen years. Her body temperature never raised, we just assumed it was due to the venom. You know that it has an effect on her aging."

Jake's head whipped to Carlisle's, his teeth were bared, "She's never going to get older than this?" he said while flinging his hand toward her body.

Carlisle took a step toward Jake, "She's aging Jacob, just at a slower pace than a normal human. The venom is still in her system. I've tried everything I can possibly think of to get rid of all of it, but I can't. The medicine I've made her is slowly breaking what's in her organs down. Although it is out of her actual blood stream, it's still within the tissue."

"She hasn't been taking her medicine, I know she didn't take it the first night or last night for that matter, is that what's wrong with her, why she's not waking up?"

"She's exhausted. What she did with Riley, I've never seen that happen before when she was using her gift. I think she put too much into it and completely drained herself. She's exhausted, but the minute she wakes up we need to try to get her to take the medicine. In the mean time, I'm going to test this," he said, showing Jake the vial of her blood. At the sight Jake felt his skin crawl and his fists tighten. He took a menacing step toward Carlisle, he hadn't even realized that he drew his mate's blood.

"Jacob, " Carlisle said, holding his hands out in front of him in a placating gesture, "I need to test this to make sure the venom hasn't begun to regenerate from the lack of medicine. I need to know if I need to make it stronger or dilute it since her body temperature is rising."

Jake stopped, sucked in a deep breath, and just as he was about to tell Carlisle off, Embry and the rest of the wolves came crashing through the back yard, skidding to a stop before immediately phasing. Their eyes were wide with panic, the pups wouldn't even look at him.

"What is it, were there more?" Jake snarled as Esme darted out of the house to Carlisle's side.

"Not yet there's not, but soon," Embry panted out.

"What do you mean not yet; it's not time for games Embry what the hell is going on?" Jake nearly roared at his friend.

"She's… when… damn it Jake this is so fucked and I didn't know what to tell him so I told him we had to ask you."

"WHAT?" he roared causing all the wolves to cower.

"A couple of humans were camping or hiking or some shit and the newborns got to them before the fight. They killed one, drained him and threw him in the creek, but man, they bit a girl. She's young, maybe nineteen or so, she's…. they didn't kill her, she's… Edward says she's changing and it's too late to suck the venom out like he did with Bella. We need to know what to do, man."

Jake's eyes were wide, he cast a look to Carlisle to make sure that Edward was telling the truth. His head dropped just slightly as he spoke, "It's true, there is a small amount of time to be able to reverse the change, the fight with the newborns lasted entirely to long for her to be saved. She's in the process of changing."

Jake opened his mouth to speak, but Esme darted toward him, almost to close for his liking. His lips lifted in warning before she spoke, "This wasn't her fault, and you can't kill her when she hasn't even had a chance to choose."

Jake's eyes scanned his pack, and then locked with Esme's, "You want me to let her choose, what if she wakes up changed and chooses to kill half the town of Forks or come onto our land and kill my people? I can't let that happen, she has to be killed."

There was a collective gasp among the pack, but the one that stuck out the most sent a wave of calm through his bones, "Jake you're really going to kill her."

His eyes shot to Bella. He could see the tears glistening in her eyes as she fought to prop herself up on the couch, "I can't let it near you Bella, even the possibility of one of them being that close to you, it's impossible."

"But they could, they could take her to Denali like they did with Edward, they could help her, teach her."

"What if she doesn't choose to live like them Bella? Then what? People could die because we let her go when there was still a chance to stop another one of them from being in this world, and that would be on us. We're here to get rid of them, not let them be changed to become something we may end up fighting one day anyway."

"It wouldn't be on you, it would be on us, and we won't come back, here to Forks ever again."

His head snapped toward Esme's so fast he fought a wince, "You're serious," she could feel the deep bass in his voice as he took a step toward her, stooping down to her height, his eyes locked with hers, "you'd never ever come back her for the rest of your existence, you'd stay away?"

Esme took a step forward and held out her hand, "I swear it, unless you call us, need us for something, we'd never come back."

Jake's eyes flicked down to her outstretched had, and then to Carlisle's eyes. He was looking at his wife lovingly, she was so strong. Carlisle knew how much this was hurting Esme to say. Of all the places they had lived, houses they had stayed, Forks she told him was the only one that felt like home. He nodded at Jake.

Jake's hand shot out, grabbing Esme's and she gasped from the pure heat of it. Her eyes widened that he had actually taken her hand. "You'll never come back, ever for the rest of your existence, never come back to Forks or near La Push?" his grip tightened around her hand.

"Unless," her eyes shot to the couch, to Bella, "Unless you call us for anything, we will never come back."

"Unless I call you, or an Alpha calls you, you will never come back." He knew that he was repeating himself but he wanted it clear that they were never coming back here, the one thing that Jake had hoped for since he phased was for the vampires to leave them alone, that's what they all wanted. Every single member of the pack hoped that another wouldn't change, this way it could very well possibly become a reality.

Esme's eyes narrowed, "Never."

His hand jerked her body forward with the force of his shake, "We're agreed, and we need a new treaty."

"It seems as though we do." Her hand squeezed his in a more friendly way and then she pulled her hand from his grip as she made her way back into the house.

"We're not killing her, but what is going to happen with her?"

"The change will be complete in three days; we'll leave as soon as the transformation is complete."

"Why not leave now, you're going to let her wake up a starving-for-blood newborn?"

"I have to treat the rest of your wolves, and honestly Jacob, there are seven of us. We can handle her once she wakes, it will make it much easier on her if we don't move her during the transformation. We'll have blood on hand as soon as she wakes to sate her while we leave."

He saw Jake's eyes go into slits, his fists bunch at his sides.

"Animal blood of course, as long as we start them on animal blood the transition is much easier. Rose has never drunk from a human. She's only ingested animal blood, and her transition went as smooth as I have ever seen one."

Jake's eye shot to Leah who was now sitting on the couch near Bella. She shrugged at him, "There are seven of them, and you should have heard her screaming when Embry barely touched her with his nose, Jake."

"Fine," he grit out through his teeth, "but she can't come here until we leave and take Bella back to the reservation. Embry and Leah, since you two are so set on this thing becoming one of them, you can patrol the Cullens until they leave." Jake didn't care that the treaty stated they weren't to be in wolf form anywhere but the reservation, if he was actually going to agree to this, agree to let a human be changed into a vampire, someone was going to be on leech watch. It might as be the ones that seemed the most ok with it.

Embry and Leah both growled in unison but rolled their eyes at Jake, "Fine but you're watching over Angela and the kids."

Jake's face lifted into a smile, "You don't mind your daughter sleeping in the same house as my son Emb, I'm sure Bella and Angela wouldn't mind a sleep over?"

Embry's growl intensified at the thought of Sage and CJ sleeping in the same house together. "Relax, CJ can stay over at Leah's, keep River and Ryder in check, poor Tala though, there with all the guys."

It was Leah's turn to growl in Jake's direction, "I think Tala can handle herself amongst the boys, Alpha."

"Good then Doc, get that blood tested so we can get the hell out of here. Jared, Quil, go tell them we're going to let her change, tell him everything; make sure he knows just exactly what happened here. I'll let you know when we leave here." They nodded in his direction before jumping off into the woods.

* * *

Edward sat his back pressed against a tree, his hand rubbing slow, soothing circles over the back of her knuckles. With each stroke his ice cold fingers made on her skin, her whimpers lessened the jerky movements of her body, while still there, lessened as well. His brothers and sisters stood in a circle around him, watching and awaiting the news of her fate.

He heard them even before he could smell them, their thoughts weren't on the girl that he was trying to comfort though, and he almost found himself aggravated by it. When they slipped between the trees they phased at the same time standing off the side of the circle of the Cullens, their bodies pressed tight against each other. They were outnumbered, it was instinct.

"Jake says she doesn't have to die, but the treaty's been changed. Once she's turned you're never coming back here, ever."

The words that came out of his mouth were curt and forced, they were, after all, letting their enemy live, but the thoughts from his family took him off guard. Every single one of them was relived that she was being saved if you could call it that. Amongst Emmett's mental hooting, Rose's mental berating of her husbands jumping up and down at the thought of a new sister, and Jasper's worry weather her transition would be an easy one, Alice's stood out the most because she was speaking to him, _I told you Edward, that he would save her, she's yours I know it. She's going to love you, you're not alone anymore._

Edward nodded his head just slightly as the tightness of his lips slackened. Alice saw it and squealed mentally, Jasper locked eyes with him at the waves of two emotions that came from his brother, something that he hadn't felt since before Bella's eighteenth birthday party.

Happiness and Hope.


	26. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hey guys sorry it took a while to get this one up, but I've been busy summer and all. Looks like we are getting close to the end, I think we are going to be at 25 Chapters and then an epi, but I have outtakes that I am going to be posting as well. If you want to see something when the story is done let me know and I'll see what I can come up with ;)**

* * *

Cole was shaking.

He wasn't doing so because he was cold or angry enough to phase. No, Cole Uley was shaking because he was scared, well more nervous than scared, but it was there and he was man enough to admit it. He was slowly clomping down the dirt road that led to her house. Sarah. He could almost feel himself sigh at even the thought of her name. He had waited so long to go out with her that he couldn't remember when the want for her had started. It was long before he phased, that he knew. He knew because even when he was in pee-wee football on the rez and Sarah was on the sidelines in her little pigtails and cheerleading outfit, Cole thought she was cute. His feelings for her only grew. Grew to the point that it had gotten him in trouble more than once with her cocky brother, but now he was worried that his feelings for her were going to get him in trouble with his Alpha who he was having dinner with. As Cole walked, he thought about the events that led him to this point.

* * *

After the battle Cole had held her in the woods until his pack caught up with them. When CJ broke through the woods first, his arm in a stick splint and his junk barely covered with a paisley shirt that reeked of leech, Cole would have normally laughed, but the sound coming from that jackass's throat had made Ali squeak and shift in his lap causing a whole plethora of feelings and emotions to flood him. He had, after all, been holding the girl of his dreams naked on his naked lap for over an hour at that point and the blush on her cheeks wouldn't go away, and the soft fanning of her breath on his skin was about to literally make him and his wolf insane.

So when CJ snarled and Ali squirmed Cole lost it. He pushed Ali off of him and into the grass as easily as he could given the fact that he was really on the verge of killing his Alpha's son. He was done with CJ's shit. As soon as Ali's bare backside was sitting safely on the moss covered ground, CJ lunged at Cole and he did the same. The two brawled right there in the woods, both human and as wolves. All the while his Alpha, his father, and most of the pack sat and watched and he hated it. He hated the fact that Ali was curled up in a ball behind him naked, hated the fact that even though the others in the pack weren't looking at her, there was always that possibility. As Cole fought CJ, he tired to move so Ali was hidden behind him, and while CJ had gotten a few good swipes in because of it, Cole wasn't willing to let Ali been seen or embarrassed. Cole somehow won (if you want to call it that), and made his way back to Ali. Not caring that her father was there, Cole bent over and picked the girl up in his arms and began walking.

As he walked he could feel the heat from Ali's chest pressing against his own, and he oh-so-badly wanted to look down at her, to actually see the blush that she wore, because in all honestly he was kind of blushing too and no girl had ever made Cole Uley do that. He could also feel CJ boring holes into his back and his Alpha watching his every move. He was an eighteen-year-old hormonal boy and it was so damn hard not to even let his eye wonder in any direction but the path straight ahead of him. He even held his head a little high so it didn't look like he was fighting with every thing he had to not look at her. Cole may have won the sparring match with CJ, but there was no way in hell he could even come close to anything against Jake.

When they finally made it to the Cullen's house, all Cole really wanted to do was jump in the cold-ass spring they had crossed a mile back. But he stood holding Ali until the female vampire named Esme came out of the house ripping moving blankets into strips so every one could cover themselves. All of the wolves in unison wrinkled their nose at the smell, leech of course, but they could smell Jake and Bella on them too, the day was only going to get better.

Ali pulled the cloth from the leech's hand and quickly covered herself while trying to squirm out of Cole's arms. He let her down and turned so he wouldn't see anything, even though his wolf was trying his damnedest to get a look. It was then that he saw his father standing back against a tree, as far from the leeches house as he possibly could, wearing a grin Cole wasn't witness to very often. The grin his father wore was the shit-eating kind and Cole knew what Sam was thinking. He fought back the blush and let his eyes turn into slits, his lip go thin and straight as he shot a glare at his father. Sam's booming laughter took everyone by surprise for a minute before he nodded his head toward Cole, all eyes snapping in his direction before his father shook his head, took the cloth the vampire was holding out to him, and walked away.

Cole was able to hear the swishing of fabric behind him as Ali had fashioned her blanket into a toga of sorts. As she was covering herself and his father was walking away, Cole's eyes scanned the clearing and landed on a set of not-so-innocent eyes. When Cole's eyes met Aidan's, his younger brother's widened a bit before they darted away and he nervously started to shift on his feet. Bastard, Cole muttered. Of course Aidan would tell them, The kid couldn't keep his mouth shut for anything. In reality though, it wasn't all Aidan's fault. After all, the entire pack had walked in on a pretty intense kiss right before the fight, and when their eyes widened at the fact that Cole and Ali were both naked, clutching each other back in the woods, there was no other conclusion they could have drawn. But this was his little brother and little brothers were always the ones that did wrong.

Just as Cole's finger began to make a slitting motion across his own neck, while he glared at Aidan, a hot hand came down on his shoulder and he spun around to meet the wide brown eyes of Ali. "Can you…" Ali's eyes darted over to her father as he slowly began placing Bella on the couch the mother leech had dragged out to the back yard. "I just want to go home," Jake's eyes snapped in their direction and he shook his head no at Cole. Apparently, it was up to him to tell Ali that they couldn't go home just yet.

Bella was passed out on the couch, Jake was still freaking and half of the pack and the Cullens were still gone, searching after some strange screeching in the woods. Turning toward Ali, he saw that her lip was between her teeth gnawing away. He could see the bumps on her exposed flesh and the slight shaking of her balled up hands. Ali wanted to go home because she wasn't comfortable being here. Hell, none of the younger wolves were, but for some reason it was having more of an affect on Ali. Cole turned to her and threw his arm around her shoulders and drew her into his chest. He could still feel the shaking, but it slowly started to subside when she placed her hand on his stomach and her nose against his chest. She was breathing him in instead of the leech stench. That was fine, Cole would do anything he could to help her.

Looking around, Cole took notice that the younger wolves were huddled together around CJ and Sam, while Jake stood protectively near Bella. Shuffling Ali along side of him, Cole walked up to Jake and quickly asked him if it was ok to at least take Ali to the front of the house so the breeze wasn't blowing the smell right at them. With a quick jerk of his head and a quirk of his brow at their closeness, Cole made his way around to the front of the house.

Sitting down on the front step, Cole brought Ali down into his lap, holding her like a child. When she looked up at him a question in her eyes, he merely shrugged his shoulder. She stayed in his lap, and he worked hard to fight back a smile. They sat in silence for quite a while before Ali cleared her throat and looked up at Cole.

She smiled and cleared her throat again, "Cole, do you think they have anything to drink in there? I'm…my throat is killing me."

Cole looked at the door, drew in a ragged breath, the very thought of going into their house had him cringing, but in the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder what it looked like in there. "I'm sure they've got a faucet or something, your mom stayed here for a couple of days, didn't she?"

Ali nodded her head and looked at the door too, "Can you come with me, I really don't want to go in there by myself."

"Like I'd let you." Cole huffed out, then he wrapped his arms around Ali's waist and stood. Her legs dropped and she slowly slid down his body before her feet hit the step. Straightening her toga, Ali shuffled her feet in place waiting for Cole to make the move toward the house. Lacing their fingers together he felt a chill shoot through his hand when he grabbed the metal handle of the door. He looked over his shoulder toward Ali and took a deep breath. Pushing the door open, they stepped in.

* * *

The first thing he could smell when he opened the door was Bella and Jake and his nose wrinkled. It was that strong, stronger to him than the leech scent that was there too. Ali gripped his forearm and made a gagging sound as she shuffled back toward the porch. Cole moved with her, not wanting to lose the contact.

Stepping back onto the porch she turned toward Cole, "That is just sick; I can't go in there smelling _that_." She said, flapping her hands in the air at him. A smile stretched across his face at the sight of her mini freak-out, "What you are you laughing at you'd be the same way if it was your mom and dad's_ smell_ in there."

Cole growled at the thought of smelling his mom and dad. It was disgusting, but it really wasn't their fault that he was a wolf with a super sense of smell. He knew they tried to hide it by opening windows and lighting candles, but he could still smell it and it made him gag every time, and he pretty much wasn't able to look his mother in the eye for a week after one of their romps. He couldn't wait to move out.

He cocked his head to the side at Ali, "For real Sarah, I've been smelling _that_," Cole spit the word out with disgust, "since I phased for the first time over a year ago. Ali's eyes got wide at his confession. She couldn't stop her head from shaking and the squeak from coming from her mouth.

"Yeah that's what I thought; just hold your breath or something. There's no way I'm leaving you out here by yourself, so let's just go." He tugged on her hand and brought her back into the house with him. When he walked through the entryway his eyes widened at what he saw. All of the furniture was either modern or antique looking; the chandelier that hung from the vaulted ceiling in the living room looked like it could be bigger than his mother's car. Ali's hand tightened around his and he heard her squeak, he turned to see her eyes wide and darting all over the place, "Whoa!" She exclaimed as her eyes landed on the chandelier as well.

"I know lets get that water and get the hell outta here before we breathe on something and it breaks, we can't even think about affording any of this shit."

Ali nodded her head and let him drag her through the house into the kitchen; she couldn't stop looking at the place, though. She had never seen anything like it, and honestly she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. She loved their cabin stuck back in the woods. It felt very homey, but this was just amazing. She had never been in a home bigger than Jared and Kim's, they had the biggest home on the rez right now, and in truth it really wasn't much bigger than the house that their dad had built them.

When they finally walked into the kitchen, she shook her hand free from Cole's and bolted to the refrigerator. Yanking the door open, she sighed in relief when she saw a case of bottled water. She jerked out four bottles and immediately downed one, throwing one to Cole. As soon as the first bottle was gone she was clutching his hand and running out of the kitchen. She squeaked out in shock when her body plowed into something cold and hard and she heard Cole's snarl when she slammed back into him. Her eyes worked their way up the pressed wide-leg gray slacks and she knew who it was before the silky smooth voice worked its way to her ears.

"Oh dear I'm so sorry, I was just coming to get your mother a glass of water."

Ali was slowly moved behind Cole's body, she could hear Esme chuckle in her own soft way. "Oh honey I won't hurt her, she's practically family."

Cole growled low under his breath as Ali pondered on what Esme really meant. Esme could see Ali's mind working out what she had just said. "Ali dear, did you ever wonder where you got your name?"

Of course Ali did, she knew that her given name Sarah was after her father's mother, but her middle name Alison she wasn't really sure. "You mother named you after our Alice."

Ali's eyes widened at the news, her grip on Cole's arm was almost painful. "She named me after… after one of you?"

Esme nodded her head with a smile on her face, and then it slowly turned solemn when she spoke, "Before all this," Esme said, fanning her hand out, "Your mother and Alice were best friends, they hung out quite a bit, just like sisters."

Ali really didn't want to hear any more, she was confused for the most part. She knew that when she was born everyone her father included knew about the Cullens and what they were. So why would her father let her mother name her after a vampire? Right now Ali was even more grateful to Cole for only calling her Sarah.

When Ali pushed on Cole's shoulder, he side-stepped Esme and began walking out the door. When they got to the front porch Sam was waiting for them, his brows pinched together. "Why didn't anyone tell me I was named after Alice?"

Sam shook his head and looked over his shoulder toward the forest, "Does it matter that you're named after her?"

She wasn't really sure if it did matter, she had gone by Ali for as long as she could remember. There wasn't a time when Jake ever really called her Sarah on a regular basis. The only time she remembered being called Sarah by anyone was when she was in trouble. "Is he really OK that I'm named after one of them; was everyone else OK with it?" She couldn't really fathom how they were; they all hated vampires, the Cullens more than anything.

"No one even questioned it Ali, both your mother and father agreed on it, he's never called you anything different. It's who you are and it just doesn't matter to us."

She simply nodded her head at Sam and ran her hand down Cole's arm to lace her fingers with his. "Listen, we're almost ready to go here. The rest of the pack had to go back to find Edward, the newborns bit a hiker in the woods and she's turning. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible and we need to stay away for the next three days. Jake wants me to take you and the rest of the kids ahead of him and Bella. They are still looking at her, you OK with that?"

Ali felt Cole's hand tighten around hers. She gave his a squeeze before nodding her head in unison with him, and there was nothing she wanted more than to get the hell out of here.

The wolves that had phased to head back to the reservation were taken off guard by the screeching in their heads and the images of the strawberry blonde girl writhing in pain as the transformation took over. It was eerily silent as they ran back to their homes. They could see the girl visibly relax as Edward stroked her cheek and ran his hand across her shoulder blades. The minute his hand would stop, the screeching would start back up and as a pack they had begged him in their minds to just keeping touching her. He could hear them through both Embry and Leah. They all let out a sigh of relief knowing that something was at least soothing her pain.

When the wolves came upon Jake's backyard they all phased quickly and worked into the shorts and dresses they had stashed around his yard. Sam told everyone where to go and asked CJ to go get Angela and the kids, and then head over to Leah's. When all the wolves were gone but the three Sam caught Cole's attention and jerked his head toward the side of the house. Ali excused herself telling them she was taking a shower.

Walking over to Sam, Cole had no clue what his father was going to say, but he really wasn't in the mood for any of it, assuming he was going to get a talking-to about Ali. Stepping up to Sam, Cole crossed his arms over his chest prepared for whatever his dad was going to say to him.

Sam chuckled at the sight of his oldest, puffing his chest out preparing for the worst. Cole cocked his head to the side, letting his lips straighten into a tight line, "Are you going to yell at me for leaving the rez or what's going on with Ali, cause to be honest, Dad, I'm not really in the mood to hear it."

Sam's booming laughter took Cole off guard, causing his arms to drop to his sides and confusion to cross his face.

Sam clapped a hand down on Cole's shoulder, a wide smile gracing his face, "Oh I don't have anything to say to you about leaving the rez, if you hadn't gone looking after Ali, who knows what could have happened, and I'm surely not going to say anything to you about what's going on with the two of you." He was still smiling which was somewhat grating on Cole's nerves.

"Well then what is it?" he spit out hastily.

Sam's eyes gleamed when he stepped back from his son, "You need to figure out what you are going to do about her, though."

"What?" Cole didn't know what to think of that, he stood gaping at his father, his brows pinched.

"I said you need to figure out what you are going to do about her. You know, since you've been ousted by both Aidan and the fact that you were pawing all over her in the clearing naked. You should have seen Jake when he saw the two of you." Sam's chuckle caught off his line of chatter.

Cole's eyes grew wide, he really hadn't even thought about what Jake, his Alpha, was going to think of any of this. His mind was so wrapped up in all things Ali.

Sam saw his son's distress and darting eyes, almost as if he were searching the woods for Jake to pop out and pounce on him. "Cole, you're a good kid, Jake knows that. You've shown it tonight by protecting her, but I'll tell you right now if Ali were my daughter and I caught a boy naked anywhere around her for whatever reason, we would be having words."

"It's not like I had a spare change of clothes." Cole mumbled out still searching the woods for his Alpha's figure.

"Everyone knows how you feel about Ali now; you just need to show them that it's not just physical."

"I haven't done anything with her."

"That was one hell of a kiss."

Cole rolled his eyes, but smiled when he remembered that kiss, his smile grew when he remembered telling her they'd have another one.

"Yeah that's what I thought," Sam's words had Cole snapping out of his memory.

"Fine," Cole grit out.

"OK good, you'd better prepare, because he's coming." Sam said quickly and began walking in the direction of their house. He didn't miss his son's head whipping around or his nostrils flaring for the scent of his Alpha.

* * *

Bella was sleeping in Jake's arms when he made his way out of the woods into his backyard. The sight of Cole sitting on his back step, elbows on his knees, head hung low, had him smiling like a loon. It seemed Sam struck the fear in him. Jake purposely stepped on a branch to catch Cole's attention, apparently the kid was thinking hard and he had not heard him yet.

When Cole heard the sound, his head snapped in the direction Jake was coming from and then he was on his feet rubbing is damp palms against the damp cutoffs he was wearing.

"Hey Jake." Cole could kick himself as soon as he said the words, if he could hear the cracking in his voice no doubt his Alpha would.

"Cole." Jake said as he strode past the boy and up the steps. Wrapping Bella tighter in his embrace, Jake reached for the door and slid it open. Cole slowly followed Jake into the house, building up the courage to talk to him about what had happened tonight.

"So uh…" he was stumbling, his hands were shaking, "about tonight. Look Jake, I…"

Jake placed Bella softly on the couch and turned back quickly toward Cole nearly making him jump back at his movements. Pointing toward the kitchen, Cole slowly began backing in that direction, not taking his eyes off Jake. This made him smile. Yep, Sam had him scared.

"You what, Cole?"

Cole opened his mouth to answer but was cut off when Jake held up his hand, "You didn't listen to the order that Leah gave you and left the rez. You phased on Cullen land breaking the treaty, you were making out with my daughter naked in the middle of the woods, and found not long after that naked with her again?" Jake let a growl slip from his lips as he spoke.

Cole started to feel his temper rise and his heartbeat rise along with it, he was a cocky one, Jake knew.

"I didn't plan on leaving the rez, but when I got halfway into the woods I smelled her and followed her scent. When she went farther then I knew she should have, I figured she was doing something to get herself into trouble. I phased because he told me too, and I was kissing her because she kissed him and I couldn't stand the smell of that leech on her!" Cole's voice grew as he told Jake his reasons ending in a yell.

Jake growled low in his chest as a warning to Cole, he didn't want Bella to wake up.

"She kissed him?"

"Yes." Jake could see that Cole was getting angrier by the second his knuckles were turning white as he gripped the counter tops.

"She kissed him," Jake repeated as he watched Cole, his fingers dug into the wood underside of the counter, "so you thought you'd kiss her, and then what?"

"Then she would know what she was doing was wrong, she's not meant to be with one of them… that leech, that's why the imprint didn't work, the reason it didn't take."

"You know who she's meant to be-"

"Me" Cole answered cutting Jake off mid-sentence, even before his mind could stop his mouth from saying the words. His eyes widened when he realized what he had just said, to Jake of all people.

Jake's hands fisted under his biceps. He didn't want his daughter hurt and until tonight she hadn't shown any interest in Cole. He knew what Cole had been saying the night they all phased, his words after all, were the reason the mass phasing happened between the kids. Jake also knew that Cole was more experienced when it came to girls and relationships.

"She is, is she?"

"She's meant to be with me more than she's meant to be with that leech." Cole grit out, he was starting to shake at even the thought of Ali and him.

"What does Ali think of all this, Cole? You know she hasn't really shown an interest in you, in being in a relationship with anyone, really."

"I'm pretty sure she thinks something of it. She was kissing me back out there just as much as I was kissing her."

Jake smiled, Cole's feathers were definitely ruffled from this conversation, but Jake wanted answers, "and what about when you imprint?"

The counter top cracked under the pressure Cole was putting on it Jake's eyes shot to Cole's hands and he growled. Instantly, Cole calmed and dislodged his fingers from the splintering wood. He couldn't answer the question though, because honestly he didn't know what would happen if he imprinted, he didn't want to think about it really.

Jake could see how uncomfortable Cole had gotten at his line of questioning, he hated these questions himself ounce upon a time. Taking a deep breath, Jake listened for Ali, he knew she was in the shower when he got home, now she was in her room. Her heart was hammering in her chest, she was listening to them.

"Look Cole, I don't really know what you are wanting with Ali, from what Aidan says you've liked her for a lot longer than what we've all known about, even before the phasing."

Cole merely nodded his head in Jake's direction too angry to speak.

"She's my baby, I don't want her hurt, and you know if you imprint you'll hurt her. I'm not saying you will but it isn't as rare as we once thought. All us older wolves are imprinted, and most of the younger ones are too at this point. Ali's is the first that was ever broken, so it's not something the guy she chooses is going to have to worry about, but the possibility is there. It's her choice if she wants to risk it with you."

"I understand Jake."

Jake took a step toward Cole, his body began to hum with the Alpha power, "One more thing," Jake could see Cole's adams apple bob up and down as he swallowed. "I had better never catch you naked near my daughter again, got it?"

"Su… sure Jake" Cole stuttered out.

Taking a step back, Jake let his hands drop when he heard Bella shuffling around on the couch. "Ali, you can come out now, I know you're in there listening." Jake smiled when he heard his daughter scramble around in her room quickly trying to cover the fact that she was eaves dropping on their conversation. When she slowly shuffled out of the living room and into the kitchen she gave Cole a small smile before looking at Jake.

"You sure you want to get involved with him Ali, you want to risk getting hurt if he imprints?" Ali looked at Cole and then back at Jake slowly nodding her head, "'Cause you know you've never ah, you've never even been in a relationship before. You could go for something more normal now that you know imprinting is out of the way."

Ali was toeing one of the planks on the floor while she looked on at Cole, she could see that he was getting angry at Jake's words, but she loved her dad. She knew that he was worried more about her than his feelings, but she felt bad for Cole at the same time. She knew that he liked her, and like Jake had said, she really never had shown any interest in him. She knew that Cole had girlfriends in the past and that he was one of the more experienced boys in the pack, not that he got around, but what he had done was a hell of a lot more than Ali ever even thought about doing. Ali never thought about him like that because really, she was too scared too. He was attractive, she knew, but she never really thought Cole had much interest in her other than a way to drive CJ nuts. That was the main reason why she never acknowledged him, really; she wouldn't do that to CJ. Now though, the way Cole had tried to keep her from Edward and the way he got her away from the fight. How he held her that entire time without trying to take advantage of the situation. She could tell he respected her enough to keep his eyes from wondering and that meant something to her, Cole was not who she thought he was.

"I think he's worth it, Dad." Ali said, looking straight into Cole's eyes. She could see him smile at her words, and Jake huff beside her.

"OK well, Cole go ahead home. When Bella's better she's going to want to meet you, we're having a pack meeting here tomorrow night. Keep out of trouble until then, and don't go out past First Beach, either of you." Jake said before turning on his heel to head back to Bella.

Ali rushed over to Cole as soon as Jake was out of the room and wrapped her arms around his waist, he sighed when her skin touched his and his eyes rolled closed when he could actually smell her scent. Not the leech's and not the dirt and grit from the forest, just Ali. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her to his chest. He didn't want to let her go, but then Jake cleared his throat in the living room and his arms slackened around her. Her's on the other hand gripped him tighter, he smiled and kissed the top of her head again.

When she looked up at him all innocent and doe-eyed he groaned. She was making this a lot harder than it needed to be. There was pleading in her eyes, it was the same thing he was feeling, but he had to be strong he had to leave for the both of them, otherwise Jake wasn't going to be to happy and he didn't want anything to mess up his chances with this girl now that he had her. He bent just so and caught her lips with his in a quick kiss before the throat clearing turned into a not so obvious fake cough.

Pulling away he pressed his forehead to hers, "Sarah, I gotta go or he's gonna take it back and I don't want to piss him off." She whimpered, it nearly tore him up. He kissed her nose as he slowly pulled her arms from around his waist and backed out of the house not taking his eyes off hers. He'd be back, he knew that much, but this was something he had to be smart about. Nothing was going to mess this up for him, not even himself.

* * *

That was weeks ago and even though Cole and Ali had seen each other around the rez and at pack meetings, they had never really spent to much time together. The last few weeks were nothing but longing stares, short phone conversations and even shorter text messages. It seemed that Jake was trying to keep them separated.

When Cole was working, Ali was either patrolling or helping Bella. When she wasn't doing that she was helping his mother and Rachel with their catering business. Cole was being kept busy too, if he wasn't working at the shop, Jake had him patrolling or doing side jobs around the rez.

Two days ago, Bella of all people had called personally to invite him to dinner, so here he was walking to his Alpha's house to have dinner with the family, CJ included. He was freaking out to say the least. He hadn't seen Ali in so long he wasn't really sure how he was going to react having to sit beside her through an entire dinner, let alone one where her annoying brother was going to be, but he'd do it, and keep himself in check for her. Anything for her.

Cole knocked on the door even though he knew he could be heard from the inside. He could hear everything that was going on inside the house. Bella and Ali were doing something in the kitchen while CJ and Sage did what Cole thought sounded like sucking face.

He heard the heavy steps of his Alpha before the door was jerked open quickly; Jake was wearing a scowl on his face, his lips set in a tight line. He looked Cole up and down and for once Cole didn't feel very comfortable in his own skin. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt it was the best he could come up with out of his closet. He was sweating his ass off too, anything for her.

Clearing his throat, Cole looked up to Jake who hadn't moved aside from the door in order to let him in the house. He was still staring at him. The hairs on Cole's arms stood on end, "Hey Jake." He could have cursed himself when he heard his voice crack again…like a fucking teenager going through puberty. His breath came out in a whoosh when he heard foot steps coming toward the door; they weren't Ali's but just as good, Bella.

She walked right under the arm Jake had on the door and shot him a look over her shoulder before she stuck her hand out toward Cole. "Hi Cole, I'm Bella, I'm sure you know that already but it's the first time I've really met you other than the bonfire. Why don't you come on in?" He relaxed a little more knowing that he wasn't the only one a bit nervous.

Cole took a step forward, but the tingling of his skin stopped him in his tracks. He looked up at Jake who was now burning holes in his forehead, his brows were pinched together. Bella looked between the two, she noted Cole's face and then Jake's. She could feel the hair on her arms begin to rise. Turning around she slapped Jake in the stomach, not hurting him of course, but startling him enough that the Alpha power quickly snapped and Cole almost stumbled forward.

"Oh Jake stop it," she scolded him as she walked back under his arm and headed into the house.

Dropping his arm at the command of his imprint, Jake barely moved enough for Cole to squeeze his way through the door before he felt another pair of eyes on him. Sage was red-faced and was wearing a huge smile while she gripped CJ's knee. When Cole entered the living room, CJ tried to stand but he could see Sage's grip stop him. His eyes shot toward her and softened as he sunk back into the sofa. Cole never thought he'd be so thankful for imprints, these two were acting crazy.

Cole, not wanting them to know that he was intimidated in the least, slowed his pace when he passed in front of CJ, locking eyes with him. He could hear him just barely growl before a buzz zapped the both of them. Jake was watching from the kitchen. Not wanting to start trouble, Cole did something his wolf was hating. He looked away and continued on. He had to behave, anything for her.

As soon as Cole stepped into the kitchen, Ali walked over to him and laced her fingers in his, pulling him to the stove. She was prattling off everything that they had made for dinner, but he really couldn't concentrate on that, the tingling was back, and the back of his head was on fire. Jake.

When Ali started to get the plates and cups down from the cabinets, Cole dropped her hands and took over. Walking over to the table, he sat the place settings down before going back to where Ali was pulling the forks and napkins out of the drawer. He took them from her, too. As the food finished cooking, Ali wouldn't leave his side, her fingers would re-lace with his once he was near her, and Cole thought for sure Jake's eyes were made of lasers.

When Bella announced that dinner was done, Jake helped her put all the food on the table and slowly every one sat. Thankfully, Ali sat Cole across from Sage and next to Bella. His girl was smart. After both Bella and Sage made their plates, the wolves piled food on theirs and began eating.

They ate in silence for a while, Cole was choking his food down, not really enjoying it much. How could he really, when Jake wouldn't stop with the Alpha shit and CJ wouldn't stop staring at his ass? If Ali didn't have her elbow pressed up against his, he would be really pissed right about now.

Halfway through dinner, Bella placed her fork on the plate and cleared her throat, "So Cole, tell me a little bit about yourself." She felt weird saying it, it was such a mother thing to do.

Wiping the napkin across his mouth, Cole looked at Bella. She seemed interested. "I'm eighteen," Bella cut him off then, "Oh that's right, you were two when I… the last time I saw you," she corrected herself.

"Yes ma'am." He answered, from what his mother told him, Bella had helped her out a lot when he was little. They were buds too, he couldn't remember any of that of course.

"You work at the shop with Jake?" Bella asked while bringing a glass to her lips.

"Yeah, I've worked down there since I was about sixteen; sometimes Aidan and I help Mom and Rachel out with the catering when they go to Seattle."

"That's not the only thing you help yourself to when you're in Seattle." CJ muttered under his breath low enough that neither Bella nor Sage was able to hear him.

Cole's hand gripped his fork so tight it bent. The tingling of his skin almost hurt. He shot a look toward Ali when her elbow moved away from his. Her face had dropped, she knew what CJ was talking about, hell all of them knew, minus Bella.

Cole really tried to fight the low growl that came from his chest, but it couldn't be stopped. At least he was able to relax it, so it wouldn't come out as a snarl. Bella's eyes shot to Cole in concern, before they narrowed at Jake and then turned into slits when the met her son's," What's going on?" Bella looked around wanting someone to answer her. Everyone's eyes moved to their plates. Throwing her napkin down on the table Bella rocked back into her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, "I said what's going on. CJ what did you say?"

CJ could tell Bella was upset, but he really didn't want to talk about it now that it was brought up, "Yeah CJ, why don't you tell your mom why Sarah isn't looking so hot all of a sudden?" Cole grit out, his skin was crawling now.

"You really want my mom to know that after you first phased the real reason you'd go to Seattle with your mom was so you could screw some twenty-two-year-old waitress?"

The fork snapped, Cole jumped to his feet causing Ali to grab his arm in an attempt to keep him from lunging over the table at CJ.

"Sit now." Jake's command was so quick and direct that Cole hadn't realized that he was sitting in his seat again until Bella's hand grabbed his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I don't think what Cole has done in the past is any of our business CJ, do you?" Her tone was sharp, her eyes were sharper.

"Really, Mom? You want Ali going out with someone that would do that to a woman, use her for sex every couple of weeks when he was able to make it up there? You don't even know what he was saying about her, the reason why I phased, why we all phased."

"Then why don't you tell me, CJ?"

"He was talking about what she was wearing under her dress, saying he wanted to see it. She was fifteen! He doesn't give shit about Ali, all he wants to do is screw her and leave her just like he did with that waitress!"

The command for Cole to sit was still in place, his wolf fought hard to stand up, to punch the living shit out of CJ. He could taste it he wanted it so bad. "Shut the fuck up." Cole all but grit through his teeth.

CJ leaned forward on the table, "It's true, you just want to use my sister and I'm not going to let it happen. She's too good for you, Uley."

"Fuck you!" Cole yelled, but before he could get anymore words out, his mouth clamped shut. His eyes were wild and frantic, this little bastard was going to pay. He could feel Ali shaking beside him, but he couldn't so much as look in her direction. Jake had his whole body frozen at the table.

Bella stood, flinging her chair onto its back. Slapping her hands down on the table, she looked at every one. "Alright that's enough, Jake, stop it already would you? My damn skin has been tingling all night with this crap you've been doing to him." Bella's eyes narrowed as she shook her head at him.

Jake's eyes went wide at being called out, "Bells, I'm.."

"Oh don't you try that crap with me Jacob, I know what you're doing to him, I've felt it all night, since we greeted him at the door, Alpha's imprint remember?" Bella said tapping her temple. He had the decency to look ashamed only for a minute.

"I'm not taking away the command until he calms down, he's to close to you and Sage."

"Well he wouldn't need to be frozen in place if it weren't for the two of you," Bella said while jerking her hand in both Jake and CJ's direction.

"This is absolutely ridiculous."

"Cole how many people have you slept with?"

Cole's eyes went wide and if is tongue wasn't stuck to the roof of his mouth he surely would have swallowed it. He couldn't answer though, so he rolled his eyes toward Jake instead.

"Oh damn it, Jake let him talk." Jake saw the flush of red travel up Bella's neck, the order was partially released.

Cole's jaw fell open the moment that happened Ali and Sage both looked horrified while CJ sniggered to himself.

"Well," Bella said impatiently toward Cole.

Ali's head fell onto her arms at the table, "Are you seriously doing this right now?"

"Two." Cole answered not wanting to anger Bella any further.

"Neither one of them is my daughter correct?" Bella asked as Ali groaned into her arms. Jake snarled at his end of the table.

"No."

"Are you using my daughter for sex?"

"Oh my god, I'm going to die, someone just shoot me right now, kill me please!" Ali's head was buried under her arms at this point shaking back and forth.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Why?"

"Because I care about her." Cole's answer had Ali's head snapping off the table and jerking toward Cole.

Bella clapped her hands together and reached back to upright her chair, "Well, now that that's done, who wants dessert?"

"Are you serious!" CJ and Jake both yelled out.

"You bet your butt I am this is crazy. This boy is here for Ali, putting up with both of your crap all night long not saying a thing, he's dealt with it better than some dealt with _their _Alphas," Bella said while shooting a glare across the table at Jake, causing him to huff and cross his arms over his chest like a child. It was true though, Jake fought Sam every chance he had.

"Don't think it hasn't gone past anyone's notice that you have been keeping these two busy and apart since the night you had your talk." Bella made it a point to bring that up; she wasn't completely out of it that night.

"Not only that, but no one said anything to you, CJ, while you had your tongue shoved down Sage's throat on the couch. I wonder what Embry would say if he knew about that?" Sage squeaked in her seat, when Bella shot a look in her direction, and CJ slunk back in his chair at her gaze. "I get the whole imprint thing, I really do, but I so do not need to be seeing any more of that on my couch, and here you are, CJ, bringing up his past when it is no one's business but his own. I don't care if he's slept with half the town, as long as he doesn't hurt her, or give her something who the hell cares?"

Ali's head smacked into the table, "It only gets worse." Cole grabbed her hand; he really hoped that it wouldn't.

"You don't mean that, Bells."

"Yes I do, Jake. All that matters right now is how he feels about our daughter, and right now I have a feel he cares about her a hell of a lot more than anyone here thinks, because honestly if I had to put up with this crap when I first met you, I don't think I would have stuck around. We're done here." Bella stood from her chair and hastily started gathering the empty food bowls from the table. Jake walked over to help her, but she smacked his hand away, causing him to growl, which in turned earned him a smack to his chest.

Slumping against the counter as his imprint flitted around the kitchen, Jake took stock of the damage. Ali's head had nice red spot on it from the repeated smacking into the table, Sage was looking a little paler than normal, Cole's main focus was on Ali, and CJ was watching Bella with an open gaping mouth.

Stopping mid-task Bella turned toward Ali and Cole, "You two go out and have fun, but have her back by midnight and Cole, don't prove me wrong here, OK?"

"I won't ma'am." With that, Cole hauled Ali up out of her chair and pulled her out the back door, it was closest after all.

Once outside they hadn't made it down all the steps of the deck before Ali was pulling them to a stop. Turning back toward Ali, Cole was worried at what he might find.

"Sarah, I'm sorry you had to hear that, I mean I'm pretty sure you knew about Mindy," he could see her wince at the waitress' name, he didn't like it but he had to be honest with her. "But the other one," she winced again. "I was fifteen, OK, and it just happened once and I know you don't think you need to know this, I know that you don't want to hear it, but you need to know that I'm not going to lie to you ever, what ever you want to know about me I'll tell you."

"You'll tell me anything?" the question made him tense.

"Anything."

"Why do you call me Sarah, why not Ali like everyone else?"

That nearly threw him for a loop, scrunching his eyes at her to make sure she was serious. He continued on when he was sure she was, "Ali is for everyone, no one calls you Sarah but me, Sarah's mine."

Her eyes widened and then her father's smile split across her face before she lunged toward him, their lips crashing together as he stumbled down the last two steps. He laughed into her lips and kissed her again, before he jerked her down the trail to Third Beach.

Ali had been on that beach nearly every single day of her life but that night, her first date with Cole everything seemed so much better. The sand felt softer under her bare feet, the water lapping at their

calves seemed calmer and the small bonfire he built for her was more romantic any other that she had been to before. It may have helped that his slow but heated kisses helped her forget the crazy that was supposed to be dinner, and when his heated, spicy tongue slipped softly into her mouth everything-including the fact that there were once other girls-completely disappeared from her mind, because right then in that moment it was just them and it was perfect.

* * *

Back at the house, CJ and Sage sat at the table as Bella finished cleaning up the mess. When she was finished, she sat down across from the two. "I'm sorry Sage that we lost our tempers, I know you are trying to adjust to all of this, but what they did was wrong, you know." Bella said while glaring at CJ and then Jake.

Sage merely nodded her head, but then turned to CJ, "He really isn't that bad CJ, Cole's just Cole and I know you don't believe it, but he really does like her. We've all known it for like, ever."

"We all who, Sage?"

"All of us girls, we know these kinds of things. He watches her a lot, and not in that creepy stalker way that some people have done before," she said while starring at him pointedly. Apparently he was never going to live that down.

Jake snorted at her words, Bella shot him a look, and then her eyes were back on Sage's, " I know how that is," Bella mock shuddered, Jake huffed and it was CJ's turn to snort. "Like father like son." Bella said with a smile.

"I'm not going to say anything to your parents about the whole," Bella waved her hand toward the living room, " couch thing, but really, let's try not to do that where his mother has to see it next time. You two are being careful, right?"

There was a bark of laughter from Jake's side of the kitchen, both Sage and CJ's faces flamed, "Bells you're on a roll with embarrassing the kids tonight."

Bella's hand left Sage's as her head whipped in Jake's direction, "Well, I'm not the one letting kids get hot and heavy on my couch while knowing full and well what's going on am I? I was kind of busy."

Jake held his hands up in surrender and leaned back against the counter.

"Well?" Bella's eyes were back on Sage's

"We haven't done… that." Sage whispered out to Bella.

Bella sighed in relief, she had just started getting used to the whole mothering thing and here she was thrown into the mix of teenage imprinted and hormonal werewolves, never a dull moment.

"But you will be careful when, the time comes."

"I'm on birth control already, I have cramps."

"You are?" CJ yelled whipping his head around to stare at Sage in shock

Jake's throat clearing caught his son's attention and he fought to look a little less excited about the fact that his imprint was on birth control before turning his eyes toward his mother. "I mean uh…"

"Oh can it, CJ," Bella said, rolling her eyes. "That's not one-hundred-percent, you know."

"Oh yeah for sure," CJ rushed out.

"No more funny business in my house, got it?"

"Got it."

"The next time I am telling your parents, Embry first OK, Sage."

"OK."

Little did CJ know that conversation alone would have him fighting for the slightest kiss from Sage for weeks.

"Go on ahead and do what you guys had planned and CJ, if you run into Cole and Ali you had better not start any trouble with him. I think you've done enough damage for the night. We'll be talking about this tomorrow and you will be apologizing to Ali in the morning.

"Yes Mom."

"Good, now get out of here so Jake can do the dishes." Bella stated as she threw her legs across the arm of the chair.

* * *

Jake smiled as he turned around toward the sink; Bella was getting herself into trouble the more she spoke. She hadn't realized how many times she said something in the house was hers, not just his but hers. She also didn't realize how much his wolf liked this take-charge attitude she had going and just how much the man liked the heaving of her angry little chest all night long.


	27. Chapter 25

**A/N: So here it is guys the last chapter before the epi. I just want to let you know that this one got a little long so I am breaking it into two parts. The second part is almost finished. Also just want to say that I really appreciate all the love and support that I have gotten for this story. All of you have really touched me with your reviews and PM's when it comes to LTM.**

**Chapter 25 pt 1**

Jake woke up to a loud knocking at the door. Looking at the clock, he growled to himself as he pushed himself off the bed. Walking into the bathroom he could hear Sage and Ali squealing down stairs in her room. Rolling his eyes when he heard the radio flip on he knew what the girls must be talking about, Cole was coming for dinner tonight. Jake wasn't very excited that he was coming. He had tried his hardest to keep the two apart since the talk they had the night of the battle. Leave it to Bella to call the boy up and invite him over for dinner. As Jake was washing his body, he heard the door slowly creak open, he could smell her as soon as her scent mixed with the steam coming from the shower. Jake continued on washing his body waiting for Bella to step into the shower with him.

When his shower was over and Bella still hadn't stepped into the shower with him, he slowly pulled the curtain back to find Bella, splayed across the counter. Her back was pressed against the wall, her legs laid over the double sinks her foot slowly bobbing back and forth. She wasn't even as long as the counter top. His eyes slowly made their way up her legs; she was wearing a pair of his boxers and one of his work shirts. The top four buttons were undone leaving more than enough open so that Jake could see the tops of her breasts, his dick of course began to grow. It was then that he actually noticed what she was doing. She was chewing on the tip of a pen, and a piece of paper was sitting on the counter to her left. When she leaned forward to write on the paper Jake growled low in his throat at the sight of the swell of her breast.

Her throat cleared, bringing his attention to her flushed and glistening face. When his eyes met hers she quirked an eye brow at him and then smiled. His gaze dropped to the paper as she wrote, and then her eyes were snapping back to his, the pen slowly rubbing across her bottom lip, then barely making it's way into her mouth. With another growl Jake stepped out of the shower, not bothering with a towel, he was nearly dry already. As he stepped up to the sink, his hand latched onto one of her legs turning her so he could step between her parted legs. He scooted toward her, but her eyes stayed locked on the paper. He was quickly growing jealous of the paper. Putting his hands on her cheeks, he pulled her face to his.

When his lips met hers he felt her shudder. His hips pushed into her center making her gasp. Taking advantage, Jake slipped his tongue in and let it explore her mouth. She tasted so fucking good, it was one thing to smell like strawberries but she tasted like them too, and damn strawberries were his favorite fucking fruit right about now. As his hands slowly made their way down her cheeks and onto her shoulder blades. Jake's eyes opened and he let them wonder to the paper. It would seem that he was caught, though because Bella's hand quickly slapped down onto the paper and she fisted it causing it to wrinkle at the center.

Pulling away, Jake found himself wanting to growl at her in frustration, what was with this damn paper. "Bells, whatcha got there honey?"

He could see the twinkle in her eye as he asked the question, she smiled at him and then her face turned to look at the paper. Her face wasn't turned far away from him before his hot fingers were pressing into her chin and pulling her face back toward his, "Honey, what's on the paper?"

Bella smiled at him once more and let her hand wonder to his naked hip, she gave the skin at his hipbone a pinch, "Aww Jake are you jealous that my attention is on something else?" His eyes narrowed into slits as he took in her smiling face, she knew him so well.

His eyes darted toward the paper, her hand gripped it tighter causing it to crinkle even more. Her innocent laughter had his eyes snapping to her once again. She shook her head and the leant forward to kiss his bare chest, "It's a grocery list, we're going shopping when you get done. I need food to make for tonight." This time a growl did erupt from his chest, "She's too young to go out with him Bells, I can't believe you called him and told him to come over here."

Bella simply rolled her eyes at him and pushed on his chest with both her free hand and the offending hand with the list in it. He tried to pluck the list out of her hand, but she slapped at his arm and pushed him again. "Come on Jake, I'm making lasagna tonight and it takes a while to make. You need to get dressed so we can go." Jake grumbled under his breath as Bella ducked under his arm to hop down from the counter. "You guys had better not be too hard on him either, he's liked her for a while and you know he's a good kid."

"I know he's an experienced kid too, Bells." Jake said tapping the side of his head.

"Oh stop Jake, like he would even try something on their first date. Especially when he knows that you can dig through his mind whenever you want, which," Bella said cutting off his opened mouth, "I know you would do because I can see that look on your face."

Jake rolled his eyes because; well he knew that she was right. Since the night after the fight Cole had been trying to find ways to bump into Ali. Good thing Jake had help from CJ keeping Ali and Bella busy and he had thought of plenty of things to do around the shop and rez to keep the two apart. Too bad he couldn't find reason to take the cell phone from his daughter. He could hear it going off during the night.

As Jake walked across the bedroom, Bella had already gotten dressed and was sitting at the edge of the bed waiting for him. He made his naked walk across the bedroom nice and slow to catch her attention and when he was hit with the smell of her arousal he knew he had done a good job of it. Bella shifted on the bed squeezing her thighs together but huffed in frustration when she caught him staring at her, "Get dressed Jake and stop it." Jake pouted when she strode quickly out of the room and down the steps. Great, shopping. He was so excited to go to the grocery store.

* * *

Bella had been pretty much a home body since the fight, her body was still sore and she was constantly tired, she hadn't gone much farther than the back deck or the mailbox. Angela and the kids had stayed with Jake and Bella until Erin's transformation was complete; the Cullen's left Forks a week after the change. Something that had infuriated Jake when he heard the news that they had to stay because there was an emergency at the hospital, but his fears were eased when he phased one night and Leah showed him, to his shock, Erin and how she was adjusting to being a vampire.

Apparently, her transformation, although painful for her, was one of the smoothest that Carlisle had ever witnessed. When she had awoken they had immediately carted her to the woods where Edward killed deer after deer in order to sate her thirst. She was nothing like the blood crazed newborns, though, she was the total opposite. Her eyes may have been as bright red as theirs were, but nothing else was the same. When Edward had killed the first deer and took her too it, her nose crinkled in disgust, making both Leah and Embry watch closer, in fear that animal blood just wasn't going to cut it. But then the girl fed on the deer and then fed some more, and to all of the Cullens' shock stopped mid-way through the third. She wasn't thirsty anymore and she wanted to know everything.

For the next week they had watched her and Edward, both at the house and while hunting. All of them were absolutely stupefied when they were hunting on the fourth day. All of them were running Edward and Erin right beside each other while Leah and Embry were on either side of them, without notice Erin had veered to the left and taken off faster than any of them. When they found her, her chest was heaving and she was bracing herself against the tree. None of them noticed the smell of blood until they took in the scene before them. A man was lying at the bottom of a small ravine, his horse laying across his legs. The man was passed out and bleeding from his head. The horse was thrashing about trying to right itself only making the situation worse. The first thought Embry and Leah had was to kill the girl. Her control was clearly slipping-that was until Edward screamed at them that she was thinking more about draining the horse than the man. When they stalked toward Erin, her eyes widened and the she did something that left the wolves stunned. She charged, in the opposite direction of the accident.

That night, sitting outside the Cullen house, they heard her tell Edward that she couldn't do that to the man, that the last of her fuzzy human memories was that of the newborns killing her long time friend and throwing his limp body into the creek. She couldn't be like them, even if it killed her.

* * *

The quick run to the grocery store had turned out to be quite the opposite, thoroughly frustrating Jake. He just wanted to get Bella back home and in bed. When they walked to the garage to get in the truck ,Bella's eyes widened at the sight. She had never taken Jake for the big truck type, but he had an older model Chevy, an eighty-one half-ton from what he told Bella. The thing was it was so high Bella really didn't know how it fit in the garage, and she wasn't able to get up in it with out his help. She grumbled to him about it, but he just laughed and said he would have to add running boards so she could get up on her own. When they were in the truck and buckled in, Jake laid his hand across the back seat and slowly began back out when she screeched at him to stop. His heart was pounding in his throat when he slammed the brakes on not knowing where the outburst had come from.

Turning toward her, he saw Bella's mouth agape and her finger pointing at the cluttered bay of the garage. His Rabbit was half-covered with a tarp, mostly blanketed in dust. Bella flung off the seatbelt and jerked the door open, stumbling out of the truck quicker than Jake could move. She raced to the little red car and ran her fingers from the trunk to the hood leaving steaks in their place. Jake watched her with concern when the first tear drop spattered on the hood, causing the dust to turn into mud.

He could hear her chanting just low enough for him to catch; _you kept it _over and over. He smiled as he made his way over to her; placing his hands on her shoulder she turned her toward him. The tears were streaming down her face now.

"Oh my God, you kept it," she said, barely in a whisper, as she looked at him.

He smiled at her and drew her into his chest, "Wouldn't dare get rid of the old girl, Bells."

They stood there, her still in shock that the Rabbit was hidden away in his garage, him happy that she was glad to see a piece of their history still around. When he moved her toward the still running truck Bella pulled back with a start, "I want to take it instead, Jake."

His face had contorted into a confused look, Bella had never really liked the Rabbit, although she wouldn't admit it, and she was partial to that truck of hers and often grumbled when he wanted to drive his car instead.

"Don't think she runs Bells, it's been years, honey."

She looked up at him then, her eyes all sad and pouting. Jake cursed under his breath when he saw tears barely hanging onto her lower lids.

"Alright, alright, I'll see if it'll start but really, Bells, I haven't had this thing running in years, there's probably a rat's nest in there somewhere, too."

Bella just nodded her head excitedly. Two hours later the Rabbit was smoking up Jake's front yard, half the pack was standing around it laughing their asses off as he tried to fold himself behind the wheel. Half way to Forks they broke down. Bella didn't seem to mind though, she was still staring at that list. As Jake kicked the door open to see just what the hell was wrong with the car, he was hit with memories of this very thing happening years ago. The roles were switched then; Jake was the one jumping out of the car without a care in the world while Bella sat in the passenger seat arms crossed over her chest grumbling at him.

Four bloody knuckles and a thoroughly agitated Alpha later, they rolled into the grocery store parking lot. No sooner than Jake had fought himself out of the car once more, a voice Jake hadn't heard in years cut straight into him.

"Oh my God is that Bella, Bella Swan?" Mike Newton still looked like the same marshmallow he had all those years ago, and he was still eye fucking Bella as he walked toward her. When Mike got a little too close for Jake's comfort he growled at him, stopping the man in his tracks, but still not scaring him enough to keep his damn eyes wondering over his mate's body. The wolf was getting pissed. Jake slung his arm over Bella's shoulders and pulled her to his side as the man-boy continued to look her over. Holding his temper through their conversation, Jake was ecstatic to learn that Mike no longer lived in Forks but had moved to Oregon and took over his Uncle's hunting store there. He was only back to help his mother with their store until his father got out of the hospital for a broken leg.

When Mike told Bella he had to be getting back to the hospital, he moved in for a hug, his arms wrapped around Bella a little too much and, once again, Jake growled. Mike walked away then, shaking his head while Bella slapped Jake on the arm. He claimed innocence, of course.

By this point Jake was antsy to just get the hell out of there, but Bella, being Bella, had slowly walked through each and every aisle of the store and half of Forks decided that they were going to drive right there because Charlie's daughter had come back out of the blue. He had heard enough "oh my God your backs" to last him a life time and even more hushed gossip and whispers about her and Edward than he could take. Lifting her into the basket of the cart he crushed half the food as Bella fought to get out and nearly ran to the cashier, chucking food on the belt faster than Bella could yell at him not to crush anything even more.

With the backseat and trunk full, Jake turned to Bella and told her that he couldn't take being cooped up in that car again and asked her if she could wait while he called Embry or someone to drive her home. She protested, telling Jake that she would just drive the car home so he could run. Twenty minutes, four stalls and a laughing-hysterically-Bella later, Jake walked into the woods and phased without taking his clothes off, God he really needed that.

He ran along the Rabbit while enduring some more ribbing from his pack as they watched on through the pack mind in amusement. It was Seth who had brought their attention to them. Just as Bella had rounded the last curve to the house, the car stalled again, causing Jake to roar out in frustration, phase back and shove the car home naked. He wouldn't have given a shit if they were in the middle of the rez at that point. Bella couldn't stop watching in the rear view though and when his eyes would catch hers he would allow his teeth to show as he snarled at the situation.

Thankfully, the rest of the day went smoothly until Cole showed up at the house. Jake was a dick to him and he knew it, but really, this was his daughter. He didn't want her to get hurt and although Ali was strong, he knew (better than most) that the heart was a fragile thing. The night was a bust which ended in Ali and Cole going off God knows where while CJ and Sage did the same, after much embarrassment from Bella. To be honest, Jake was little more worried about CJ and Sage getting into trouble than Cole and Ali, but like he said, that was his baby girl out there.

* * *

As he stood cleaning the dishes, trying not to laugh hysterically at his son and his imprint's utter embarrassment, Jake could feel Bella walking up slowly behind him. He washed the already clean dish until he felt her small arms wrap around his waist. She sighed into his shirt and then slowly sucked in a breath, taking in his scent. Bella had been worked up most of the night, mostly angry at him for the way he was acting, but also at CJ.

Placing the dish in the strainer Jake turned in her arms and hugged her to his chest.

"Sorry about tonight, Bells. I just don't know what got into me."

She huffed a puff of her heated breath across his chest, "You still mad at me, honey?" He really hoped that she wasn't.

"Not mad Jake, just a little disappointed." Well fuck if that didn't hurt. "Charlie never liked Edward," his body stiffened at the words, she squeezed him tighter, "He never liked him Jake, but he never treated him like that. Cole's part of your pack, I wouldn't be surprised if he's lost a little respect for you and you know Ali was hurt by that little display you and CJ put on. I can't believe he accused Cole of wanting Ali for just sex and you didn't say anything to CJ, but kept the order on Cole."

"Bells, he was too worked up. He really could have hurt you."

"Like I said before, Jake he wouldn't have been so worked up if you two would have just backed off a little bit. What would you have done if Charlie treated you like that?"

"He did, if you don't remember correctly."

"He freaked out because his nineteen year old daughter got pregnant by a seventeen year old. That wasn't even out of school and didn't have a job." Oh he could tell Bella was starting to get worked up, she was starting to pull out of his chest.

"Bells, I have to protect her, she can't get her heart broken by him."

"Why are you so sure he'll break her heart Jake?"

"He's going to imprint, I know he will Bells."

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Nearly everyone in the pack has, it's not as rare as we thought it was."

"Yet she is willing to take that chance. She knows that it could happen, Jake but she still wants to be with him. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"She's young ,she doesn't know what she wants." He really didn't like where this was going, just a few minutes before Jake was thinking the night was going to end very differently.

"She is the same age you were."

"Bells." Jake groaned while rubbing his face, nope didn't like this at all.

"What Jake, I'm serious. If I recall correctly, there was this certain boy who liked this certain girl and was willing to do anything to get her, even if it meant getting his heart broken."

"But I loved you Bella, loved you. I knew I'd fight with everything I had to fight an imprint if it came to that."

"You think Cole doesn't fell the same way?"

"I have no idea what Cole feels, but I do know that he's slept with two people, one being a woman and more than once with that girl. You were it for me Honey, even when you were still with Edward," he growled the word out, "I never even thought of looking at another girl. Not only that, but I don't get how Cole is enough now when Ali didn't want to have anything to do with him until recently, she's fickle."

"Maybe he just changed her mind." Bella argued, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting out her leg.

"In a matter of days, Bella?" He couldn't help but argue back, he really couldn't understand it.

"Well," Bella said flapping her arms to the side now, "I guess I was just some stupid fickle girl too, then wasn't I Jake?"

That's all she had to say before Jake's palm met his forehead and his head was shaking, "You are really going to compare them to us?"

"What, why shouldn't I? Sure I knew I loved you, but I fought it Jake, but then you changed my mind in one day. Remember that picnic and what happened after? That's where we began, Jacob."

"Oh I remember that day, Bells." Jake said while he stalked toward Bella. He was finished with this conversation.

Her eyes widened when she saw him stalking toward her, slowly unbuttoning the buttons of his shirt. She couldn't stop the rush of excitement at the sight, but still chose to push him, "You seriously aren't doing this right now."

"Run." Jake growled out in a husky voice. His nostrils flared when a wave of her arousal hit him.

She ran from the kitchen with a smile on her face. She could feel his fingers brushing her calves and ankles as she ran up the stairs; it only got her more excited. He caught up with her as soon as they stepped foot in the bedroom door. Scooping her up into his arms. She was about to wrap her legs around him when he threw her in the air. Her eyes got wide and she squealed as she flew across the room and onto the awaiting bed.

When she had settled and propped herself up onto her elbows, she blew the errant hair out of her face, her eyes met his and he gave her a smile and slowly he began stalking toward her. He loved this, his wolf loved it more. With each footfall Bella squirmed on the bed, her eyes slowly growing wider as he stalked toward her. He couldn't stop the smile spreading from his face, Bella's turned into more of a sexy lip bite and his wolf was going mad.

When his knees bumped the bottom of the bed she sucked in a breath. Her back was now pressed between the pillows at the headboard. She was rubbing her legs together and with each pass her arousal knocked into him. He was twitching in his pants with each wave. His knuckles met the mattress and his hand wrapped around her small ankle; something else he decided that he liked, dragging her across his bed. When she got close enough, her legs parted and Jake slowly let himself lower to her. She was wearing a dress, something that the old Bella never really did, and all day, without knowing it, she had been teasing him.

Jake only lowered himself enough to hover, his left hand unclasped from her ankle and he let the pads of his finger work their way up her leg. At the knee he made sure to rub the back, goosebumps erupted along her skin. His eyes never left hers as his hand made it's way into the band of her underwear and she was right there with him when he slowly began pulling them down. She lifted her hips to help him and soon enough they were sailing across the room over his back.

Jake pounced then, his mouth smashing into hers. Her gasp had his tongue thrusting in while his hips rocked forward into her naked heat. He had only rubbed against her twice before her hand was squeezing in between their bodies and she was popping the button of his jeans. He groaned into her mouth as she pulled all of him out, just barely pushing his pants down his ass before she lined him up with her core. Once she removed her hand, he pushed forward, both of them groaning at their connection. Her nails dug into his back and his reaction couldn't be helped it had been way to long since they had done this. The beast in him had been caged since the fight. His human side not allowing the wolf to take what it wanted until he knew that Bella was OK. She had been working on him more than a week now and Jake had finally snapped, the sight of her in that dress, and angry most of the night was just too much.

He wanted to go slow and loving, but he couldn't. His wolf was taking over. As he buried himself in to the hilt, Jake circled his hips and hit something in Bella that had her head flinging back, only encouraging him more. He withdrew quickly and slammed back in adding the swirl to his hips. She groaned again, hissing at the same time. It was all he needed, he lifted his chest. Hovering above hers, he locked his shoulders and slammed into her, quickly withdrawing to slam back into her again. With each push and pull Bella's fingers dug deeper and deeper into his forearms and he loved it. She had marked him like this before, he wanted her to.

When Jake felt her walls clench around him, his left hand worked its way down her body and with one last thrust of his hips he rolled her nub in his fingers and she screamed out his name, arching her back toward him. Her body tightened around him so much that his head dropped and he took her covered breast into his mouth causing her to shudder under him. The feeling of her wetness tighter around him had Jake on the edge. He could feel it, and then ever so lightly he bit her nipple and she clenched around him again, throwing him over the edge. As he released into her, his hips moved at a slower less-deep place until he had completely emptied himself inside of her.

He slowly lowered his body back onto hers and laid there panting into her neck; her body was glistening in sweat. Her nipples were growing harder because of the cool air from the ceiling fan and were showing through her dress. He couldn't stop his hand from rubbing up and down her side slowly, allowing the pad of his thumb to work over her nipple. She would shudder or suck in a breath with each pass. Finally he let his palm engulf her breast as they lay at the foot of their bed. Their bodies slowly cooled from the heat, their breaths evening out as the high wore off. When Bella squirmed below him, Jake looked up at her meeting a bit lip and a quirk of her brow.

Before he could ask, she answered his question with a smirk, "More." His dick that was slowly growing soft in her twitched, she moaned and squirmed once more, "Already, Bells?"

She could see the smile on his face as he asked the question and she couldn't help but roll her eyes, "It's been almost a month, Jake. I need you again," and she did. She had been begging for his body to press her into the mattress of their bed, press her into anything really, she just wanted to feel and see and taste every part of him. Jake being Jake though, was being overly cautious, still worried that she was sore from the fight.

"Sure, you're ready for this again, Bells?"

She hummed at him and let her nails scratch into the back of his neck causing him to almost purr.

"I'm waiting on you, Jake."

Pushing the fabric of the dress up, her skin was revealed to him, the bruises from the battle now gone Jake knew this was right. As the fabric bunched around her chest Bella lifted thinking he was going to take it all the way off, but he didn't want too, this dress was officially his favorite, "Keep it on Honey, I like it."

His finger brushed across her collar bone and she shuddered. Pulling the fabric away from her chest, he latched onto her nipple, causing her back to arch into his mouth. Working the peak around in his mouth he let his teeth brush over it. He could smell her getting excited again, in turn exciting him.

He kissed his way over to her other breast, drew back the fabric and did the same. She was panting under him now, begging for him to just hurry up and do more. His wolf was screaming the same, but Jake liked to see Bella like this, the flush that was working its way into her skin once again had him getting hard and twitching that was for sure, but the longer he drew it out the more wild they both became.

As he kissed his way back to the center of her chest, he kissed over the bunched fabric and slowly began working down her belly. As he made his way down, her stomach jumped under his lips. He stopped at her belly button and he circled his nose around it letting his tongue peek out every now and then her hand threaded into his hair as he worked, she was shifting beneath him. He could feel her fighting for air. He was driving her crazy, he knew. Turning his head to the side, he began working his way over to her hipbone; he always wanted to nibble there. As his ear passed over her navel something caught his attention and he stilled. Bella's fingers were pulling at his scalp now, but his concentration was elsewhere. As he pressed his ear flatter into her stomach he heard more clearly and he knew what the sound was. It was fast and whisper quiet, but he could hear it. It sounded just like the noise a humming birds wings made it was then he knew he wouldn't have noticed it for a bit longer had he not put himself into this position. Bella was pregnant and that sound, was his baby's heart beating.

When he felt another tug of his scalp, his eyes shot up to Bella's, hers questioning, he kissed her belly button she smiled and he continued on. The sound now thrummed in his ears since Jake knew it was there and his wolf calmed, this time he would love Bella nice and slow, it would be as amazing as it ever was because Jake knew the gift that she held.

Lying in bed after, Jake couldn't keep his large hand from splaying across her abdomen as she slept. He couldn't wait to see her body swollen with his child once more, the light in her eyes when they argued over baby names, couldn't wait for the pack's reaction to another pup. Working his way down the bed, Jake let his lips ghost over her stomach as he spoke, "We'll do it right this time, little one." Laying his head on Bella's stomach once more, he let the fluttering heartbeat lull him to sleep.

* * *

Hours later, Jake was awakened by the slamming of the front door. He groaned as he rolled off of Bella, the moment his head had left her stomach she curled into a ball unknowing, wanting to retain his heat. Grabbing at the bedspread on the floor, Jake carefully covered Bella with it before slipping on his cutoffs and t-shirt that were strewn across the floor.

As Jake made his way down the steps he could hear some one rummaging through the refrigerator. As he rounded the corner he saw Ali lift up with a cup of yogurt and a bottle of water, her brows furrowed when she looked at him and her lips went into a straight line. Jake could hear her heartbeat speed up.

He walked slowly across kitchen floor and sat at the table waiting for Ali to speak to him. He couldn't help but glance at the clock on the stove. He smirked when he saw the time twelve oh five, before he could say anything Ali broke in, "I've been home since eleven thirty, CJ and I have been talking outside."

Jake huffed, so the kid wanted to stay on his good side.

"Oh Daddy, don't do that, why are so mean to him?"

Jake rolled his eyes and shifted in his seat. How many times was he going to have this conversation?

"Look Ali all I can say is this: I don't want you hurt. He's going to imprint and it is going to tear you apart if you get too close to him. I don't want that to happen to you and I'm not really very happy about you seeing him."

"You know what's funny, when we had that talk about Edward you told me that you would support whatever made me happy." Damn it, he did say that, didn't he?

"You would let me be with a vampire over Cole?"

"Vampires mate similar to us, Ali. If you chose him at least I'd know you were it for him, Cole is going to imprint."

"You don't know that," she screeched, flapping her arms.

"Your mother is sleeping, you need to keep it down, and I do know it Ali, nearly all of us have imprinted."

She huffed, sadness crossing her face, "He makes me happy though, Daddy. I know he cares about me, I can feel it."

"What do you want me to do Ali, just let this happen? Let him break your heart, you don't want that."

"You can't keep me from him just because you're scared of my heart getting broke. Normal girls get their hearts broken all the time."

"You're not a normal girl."

"I want to be, as close as I can get to it. Look Dad, I know you hurt when Mom was gone, that your heart was broken, but you made it, you moved on."

"Not really Ali, I didn't. I thought about your mother every single day."

"But she's your imprint, how could you not think about her? Cole isn't mine if… if he does imprint one day I could survive it."

"Do you really believe that Ali, you argument doesn't sound so convincing."

"People do it all the time." She said stubbornly.

"You know the longer you're with him the harder it will get to let him go, what if he imprints when you are married or when you have kids?"

Her eyes widened at the thought her heart quickened, "Who said anything about marriage and kid's dad?" She squeaked.

"It's a possibility."

"Are you serious, what is with you and mom and all the teenage sex talk tonight. Oh my God, you know that… that" Ali wrung her hands in a nervous gesture, "I've never, I'm a virgin." the last word came out in a gush of air and her entire body turned red from embarrassment.

Jake's eyes slid closed and he thanked the spirits, not that he didn't already know this information, but really his daughter actually telling him something like that relieved all his fears, hearing it from the source it's self.

"Can you just try to keep it that way for a while kid?"

"You're the one that was just bringing up marriage and kids and now you're telling me to stay a virgin! You're all over the place and for your information; I don't plan on doing anything."

Ali let out a long yawn Jake wasn't entirely sure was real, but he let the subject drop, he knew that Ali was stubborn and that she was going to get her way no matter how much he tried to steer her in the opposite direction. Jake walked over to his daughter and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"CJ is sneaking over to Sage's again isn't he?"

"You think I'm bad, I think you need to have a talk with him." Ali said over her shoulder as she made her way to her room. Jake chuckled at the words, "Bella already did." he spoke low enough for her to hear, Ali snorted in response.

* * *

When Ali closed her door, Jake made his way to the back deck. Sitting down in his chair he looked into the forest his eyes wondering down the path that lead to Third Beach. Bella was pregnant. His kids were home and safe and the newborns and the Cullens were gone. He smiled at the thought. He hoped that life on the rez would go back to as normal as he thought it was all those years ago. With the Cullens gone they all were hoping that no one else would phase, only time would tell, though.

Lifting himself out of the chair, Jake slowly made his way down the steps and onto the path. He cut through the woods, going to the one place he hadn't been in years. Although Jake still watched the sunset he hadn't watched it from the cliffs since before Lauren. As Jake stepped out of the woods just behind the cliffs his nose went into the air taking in the salty smell of the ocean, the breeze was whipping against him and the moon was shining on the water. Jake sat down draping his legs over the ledge and watched the waves roll in below.

It wasn't long before Jake caught another scent and he found himself smiling. Embry walked up behind him as quite as could be. He had actually just been at Jake's house escorting CJ back from catching him kissing his daughter against the side of the house.

"What'd he do?" Jake said, a smile in voice.

"Jake, your kid is really starting to test my fatherly patience here. I mean I know he's a good kid, but Sage she's…"

"I know man she's your baby. I just had this conversation with Bella about Ali and Cole."

Embry barked out a laugh while clapping Jake on the shoulder. He sat down beside him, "So you give him a hard time tonight or what?"

"Bella was pissed."

"That bad, huh?"

"As soon as I saw him at the door I wanted to punch the little shit! This is Ali we're talking about here Emb, and I know he's going to hurt her. I just know it."

"He's strong Jake, almost as strong as you were and when it comes to Ali. He's determined, too."

"Strong enough to break an imprint though, when it happens, because you know it's going to."

"It probably will Jake, but she knows that and so does he. That's the one thing they got going for them."

"She might know it but I don't think she's actually letting it soak in, neither of them are."

"But she's a lot like you Jake, she'd be able to handle it I'm sure of it."

"Bella's pregnant." Jake blurted out, wanting to change the subject away from his daughter and Cole.

"What!" Embry yelled, "Holy shit Jake, why didn't you tell any of us, does Ang know!"

"Bella doesn't even know, Emb."

"You're shitting me."

"Nope. Heard it tonight, plain as day." Jake couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face as he talked about the child growing within his mate.

"What are you going to do?"

"Ask her to marry me."

He could hear Embry suck in a deep breath and then let out a low whistle, "Well damn, Jake that's, that's great man, but what are you going to do about Bella? Are you sure she can even have this baby? I mean with her…" Embry waved his hand around in the dark as a snarl ripped through Jake's lips.

"She's having this baby."

"Whoa man, you know that's not how I meant it, I mean shit what are you gonna do?"

"I have to call the Cullens, we can't take her to a regular doctor, there's no way."

Jake sat waiting for a word from Embry. Minutes passed before he broke the silence again, "You think she'll say yes?"

Embry barked out a laugh and punched Jake in the ribs, "Are you fucking kidding man, you know she will in a damn heartbeat."

"She was calling the house hers tonight, everything in it damn near, too."

Embry sat nodding his head, not really saying anything but taking in what his friend was saying; finally Jake was going to get to be happy.

"I'm happy for you man, happy for her too after hearing all that shit she went through to get back here to you and the kids. She deserves it, you all deserve it." He paused shaking his head once more, "Another kid, huh! Haven't you heard of wrapping that shit up Jake, you're gonna have another kid."

"It wasn't high on my list at the…"

"and what the hell is up with you two getting knocked up the first time you do it?" Embry interrupted while holding his stomach and laughing. "You sure do have the luck man."

Jake grumbled under his breath, and Embry stilled, his eyes going wide, "Oh shit this better not put any idea's in Angel's head."

It was Jake's turn to bark out a laugh.

"What man! The last time you and Bella had kids the population on the rez about doubled in size. Shit, do you think it has to do with you being Alpha, like once the Alpha has pups the pack has to too?"

Jake couldn't hold it in any longer. Looking at Embry's panicked and almost pale face as he thought about his mate getting pregnant again. Things had been hard for Embry and Angela in the beginning, she had suffered postpartum depression and as the kids grew Embry and become the overly protective dad, to a point that it was annoying for the pack and draining for him.

"I don't think so man, but look don't freak out about it, I mean if Ang gets knocked up, her and Bella will be all over each other. You should have seen them at the house those couple of days, it was crazy girl time."

Embry's breath was ragged as he settled himself. When he looked at Jake he wanted to sock him in the nose, he was smiling of course, "Screw you Jake that shit is scary." His brows pinched together when Jake chuckled.

"I'm giving her my mom's ring."

"I'm happy for you man, I really am."

With that, Embry stood and walked back into the trees smiling.

* * *

Jake couldn't sleep at all that night. When the sun had just begun to raise, he slowly slid out of bed and threw on his clothes, hoping that Bella would stay sleeping until he got back.

He was getting the ring from his dad today. He had made his mind up last night. After Embry left, Jake hadn't stayed at the cliffs much longer, and before he knew it he was standing at the front door of the little red house. He could hear his dad snoring inside, and the entire place was pitch black. Jake's hand was on the handle when his dad snorted in his sleep and shifted. His head hit the hard wood of the door and he cursed. Was he really just thinking about sneaking into his dad's house and getting his mother's ring with out even telling him?

As Jake walked the streets of the rez he thought just what he was going to say, and then he walked past Sue and Charlie's house. Charlie's truck was gone. _Shit. _Jake couldn't stop staring at the house as he walked on; he was regretting the short cut through the woods right about now. The closer he got to the little red house the more nervous he got, he knew that Billy would give him that ring, no questions asked but he also knew that Charlie was there. They must be going fishing. Deep down there was no reason to worry, in the time that Bella was away Charlie and Jake had grown close enough that Jake really did feel like a son to him, but this was different. This was Bella and here she was pregnant again, and they still weren't married. _He was fucked._

Just as Jake suspected the little blue Nissan truck was parked in Billy's driveway with a John Boat on the back, Charlie was walking out of the house poles in hand a smile on his face. His smile grew wider when he saw Jake. "Hey Jake how's it goin', everything OK with Bella?"

"She's good, at home sleeping right now. Just came over to talk to Dad before she woke up." Jake wondered if the slight shake in his voice would register with Charlie. When his head cocked to the side he was sure of it.

"Nothing else goin' on then?"

"Uh.." Jake grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed the muscles there, why the hell was this so hard, and really was he going to tell Charlie that Bella was pregnant even before he told her, at this rate half of the rez would know even before she did.

Charlie leaned the poles against the house and dropped the tackle box, "She's alright, right not acting funny? I was just over there the other day Jake, what's going on?"

Jake could hear the concern mingled with panic in Charlie's voice as he spoke. _It's time to man up_, Jake thought to himself. Dropping his hand from his neck, Jake squared his shoulders and locked eyes with Charlie.

"I want to marry her Charlie, I came over here to get my mom's ring so I can ask her. She's pregnant-don't tell anyone, she doesn't even know yet, and no that's not the reason I want to marry her." Jake could see the emotions flit across Charlie's face. He moved quickly across the porch toward Jake and he wondered if Charlie was going to attempt to punch him but then a laugh broke from his chest, a full and hearty one at that.

"Billy," Charlie yelled shaking his head, "didn't you ever have the birds and bees talk with this kid?"

A shocked noise escaped Jake's throat as Charlie laughed again when Billy appeared in the doorway. He was utterly confused, "What's this about the birds and the bees?"

"It seems that Jake here just made us grandpas again, haven't ya Jake?"

A wide smile slipped across his face as he looked down at his dad, "Guess so."

Billy's smile was one of the largest Jake had seen in years, and then he was backing into the house making room for them both to come in. As he moved around the room Jake's palms began to sweet, he knew his dad would give him the ring, but really Jake had only seen it once since his mother had died and that was right before the babies were born, the first time he was planning on asking Bella.

As Charlie sat back in the beat up lazy boy Jake stood in front of the TV needing both of their attention. Charlie still hadn't given Jake his blessing and he wasn't going to ask about the ring until Charlie said it was OK. Hooking his thumbs in the pocket of his cutoffs, Jake stared at Charlie and cleared his throat, "So about what I said before Charlie, is that a yes?"

Charlie barked out a laugh, slapping his knee, "You didn't think it was Jake, like I'd say no to you wanting to marry my daughter and make her honest."

Billy choked on his beer sending a spray toward Jake, he flinched back when it hit his bare chest and arms. Moving quickly toward Billy who was still trying to recover, Jake bent down beside him and slapped his back as gently as he could manage, given that his hands were shaking now. What if Billy didn't agree to let him have the ring?

When Billy's coughing fit ended he looked at Jake, their faces only inches apart, "It's in the top drawer under her journal, the same place it was last time, Son."

Jake felt tears prick at his eyes and then he was moving swiftly down the hall and into his father's room. Jerking open his top dresser drawer one of the tears fell as he noticed his mother's journal and a few thin photo albums. He lifted them gingerly and there it was: the small burgundy velvet box that held his mothers ring. She had worn it until the day that she had died. Gripping the box in his hand, Jake walked backwards until he bumped into the bed and sat down with a heavy thump.

He could hear Billy telling Charlie to give him time that he would be out when he was ready. He could hear Charlie tell Billy how grateful he was that Jake was the man he was. Their voices died out when he opened the ring box though. The ring was a bit tarnished, but the diamond was still shiny. The ring was simple and so Bella or at least Jake thought it was her and he hoped and prayed that she was going to love it. She, of course, had never seen the ring.

The ring was simple. It had a yellow gold band with leaves and a flower carved into the band. The diamond was on a white gold head. Although small, the diamond was round cut and still held a shine that Jacob always remembered it had. Billy had this ring custom made for Sarah, and she loved it. Loved it enough to give up just hours before she died telling Billy that one of her daughters might want it some day or a nice woman Jacob knew would love it just as much as she had.

Sitting on the bed, holding that tiny ring on the tip of his pinky finger, Jake wished that his mother was still alive, that she could see the man that he had become. Wished that she was able to meet Bella now and his kids. He began wiping at his eyes when he heard the wheels of Billy's wheelchair squeaking down the hallway. Jake cleared his throat, looking at the door just as Billy slowly made his way into the room, "She's a beauty, isn't she? Haven't seen it since the first time you asked me for it. She's gonna love it Jake, I know she is."

Jake nodded at his father, not letting their eyes separate, "You don't know how much it means to me Dad, that you'd give it up, let me have to give to her."

"That's the thing Son, I'm not giving in up. It'll be nice seeing everyday, knowing that it means something between the two of you. Charlie gave me the official yes, by the way."

Jake chuckled as he slowly slipped the ring back into the box. Snapping the lid closed, he made his way over to his dad, bent down and embraced Billy in one of his signature hugs. Billy knew then just how truly happy Jake was. He could feel it, "I didn't think I'd ever be this happy and she's here and pregnant, we are getting a second chance and we're gonna do it right this time. She's gonna be here."

"Yeah she is, Son." Billy hugged Jake back and the two broke apart just as Charlie made his way into the room, "We'd better get going Billy, before all the good spots on the river are taken."

Charlie's gaze swung toward Jake, "You'll make her happy, I know it and she's already better just being back. The change from the first day she was here Jake, you did that."

Charlie grabbed Billy's chair and retreated out of the room before the situation could get too emotional. It didn't stop his own tears from welling in his eyes though, finally after all the shit Bella had been through she was going to be happy, and Jake was the only one that was going to be able to do it.

* * *

The ring was burning a hole in Jake's pocket. Every couple of seconds his hand would smooth over the spot in nervous anticipation for what was to come. Bella was thankfully too busy to realize that Jake wasn't keeping as cool as he would have liked. She was moving around the kitchen with an ease that normally would have made Jake sit back and relax at the sight, but not today. He was thankful that she only picked up one power from the vamp venom because if she had gotten their keen sense of hearing he would be so screwed right now. His heart was thundering in his chest. It was so loud that his kids had picked up on it earlier in the day and Ali being Ali had cornered him about it.

When she caught him staring off at the picture of him and Bella on the cliffs all those years ago, she tapped him on the shoulder and he was nearly jumping out of his skin. He was so wrapped up in thinking about everything he was going to do that night that he didn't realize that his kids had snuck up on him.

By the time Jake turned around, Ali's arms were folded over her chest and she had the look Jake knew meant business. She wasn't going to give up until she knew what was going on. CJ, who was standing right behind her, looked mighty interested as well. After what seemed like an interrogation, Jake had finally given in and told the kids about Bella being pregnant and what his plans for that evening were.

Ali took the news just as he had thought she would, jumping up and down clapping her hands together as she squealed that she knew it. Jake wasn't really sure what she knew, at the time he really didn't care, his main focus was getting her to calm down so Bella, who was in the shower, couldn't hear the commotion. CJ on the other hand hadn't said anything which had Jake worried. When he walked out on to the back deck, Jake sat beside CJ on the top step and waited for his son to speak.

"I think it's great Dad, I really do, you both deserve to be happy after everything you've been through. I gotta ask though," CJ turned to look at Jake, "what about the baby, she's sick with that venom inside her still, you think it's gonna be OK?" CJ's question took Jake off guard it would have been more of an Ali question, but CJ had asked it, and Jake was going to give him the best answer that he could. "I called the Cullens as soon as I got home, they're coming in three days. Not all of em, but Carlisle I know for sure and maybe the pixie too. They're going to make sure the baby is OK."

"What about Mom though, she gonna be OK?"

Jake swallowed at the thought of something happening to Bella because she was pregnant, no nothing was going to happen to Bella. He wouldn't allow it, but then the flash of her limp swollen body in the front seat of the cruiser sixteen years ago struck him and that's when the fear hit him. Jake could protect Bella from anything life threatening, but he couldn't protect her from her own body.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jake looked at CJ, "If we're here for her, to help her and keep her calm, she'll be OK, CJ."

Cole called for Ali an hour later and much to Bella's surprise Jake was OK with him taking Ali to the movies in Port Angeles that night. When she quirked her brow at him in question, Jake just shrugged his shoulder at her and changed the subject. CJ had made a quick disappearance not much later saying he and Sage had plans as well.

When the kids were gone, Jake told Bella that he wanted to take her to the cliffs so they could watch the sunset. She immediately began moving around the kitchen making a picnic, telling Jake that they could have dinner down there, and how perfect it would be. If she only knew how perfect it really was going to be.

* * *

Thankfully, Jake's hand stopped sweating as soon as Bella placed the last sandwich into the personal cooler Jake had brought in from his work truck. As they walked down the little path toward the beach, he could see the once gray sky turning a deep shade of purple and where the sky met the water it was a bright pink. Bella kept whispering to him how beautiful it was, and when they were finally there and the wind was blowing her hair into his chest he wrapped his arms around her and flattened his hand on her stomach. He was hyper aware of what lay just under her clothes, he could feel as well as hear the little fluttering of his child's heart against his hand and ears. He smiled into the top of her head as he placed a kiss there.

They stood there and watched the sun slowly dip into the sea. Her body slack against his, her scent swirling around them both with every gust of the wind. He had never been happier or more nervous than he was at this moment.

Turning Bella around, he looked into her eyes and smiled her smile, his heart warmed when her hands squeezed his and she popped up on her tip toes to meet his lips. When their lips met, Jake's heart jumped and immediately his hands shook hers away and wrapped around her body pulling her as tight to his body as he could. Her hands made their way around his neck and her fingers threaded through the back of his hair when he deepened the kiss.

It took everything he had to pull away from her, but his nerves were getting the better of him and he really wanted to tell her every thing before it got too dark, although he would be able to see her in the dark he wanted her to be able to read his face when he told her everything.

He pressed his forehead to hers when she pouted at the loss of his lips, "Bells honey, you don't know how long, how many times I've come up here and wished and prayed that you'd be here watching this with me. When you first left I'd come up here every single day and pray that you'd come back, that me and you could watch the sunset, the ending of another amazing day together." He could see her eyes start to well with tears. Slowly he began rubbing small circles on her cheeks, "I'd come up here and look out at the ocean and wonder where you were and if you were watching the sunset too, I wondered what you were doing." When the first tear fell he quickly swiped it away with his thumb, "After a while it go to hard to come here and sit on the cliffs with out you, so I built the house, right there and made the path the way I did so I could sit on the deck and watch it, it didn't feel right with out you by my side, so I told myself I'd never come to these cliffs again and watch the sunset unless you were with me."

His own tears fell, dripping down his face mixing with the ones he was unable to catch, "I missed them so much but that night, when you came back I was here. I was confused when I felt the need to come down here, but I did anyway. I was watching the sun when Embry let us know something was going on. As soon as I phased and saw CJ on you, I thought I was going to lose you and it scared me so much Bells. When I was standing here just moments before I felt lighter than what I had since you left and I didn't understand it then, but now I do. We're meant to be here, me you and the kids." His hand worked his way down to her stomach flattening against it again. Her eyes went wide and her breath hitched as she laced her fingers in his, "All of our kids Bells, this is ours and it's not meant for anyone else, and I want it forever with you."

She sucked in a stuttering breath, her hand squeezed his harder. Their eyes stayed locked, their fingers laced. He was breathing in every little panting breath that her body could expel and then she said the one word that sent him flying. "Yes"

She was off her feet and spinning before she could even blink, she could feel his heart slamming against her chest, and his head was buried so far in her hair that she didn't think he'd make it out with out getting tangled up, and then his hot lips pressed against the soft flesh behind her ear and she shuddered, "Yes yes yes, oh my God yes, Jacob."

He finally stopped spinning her, when her feet touched the ground he was digging into his pocket and when he pulled out the small burgundy box Bella froze, "Is that your mother's ring?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the box. Jake's face showed his confusion, it was then Bella knew she had to explain.

"You were at work, and Billy and Charlie were fishing. It was near the end of my pregnancy, I was nesting."

Jake chuckled when he remembered Bella's nesting phase with the twins. Days before she had the twins Bella could be found at all hours of the day and night waddling around the little red house cleaning things that didn't need to be cleaned. It had gotten to the point that Jake began to worry about his brain cells frying from the bleach and chemical smell just as much as he worried about Bella getting herself down on the floor and not being able to get back up as they slept.

"It's my mom's ring Bells, Billy wants you to have and I asked Charlie, too."

The smile that spread across her face when he said that had him inching open the box ever so slowly before he snapped it closed, "Have you seen it yet Bells, did you look at it?"

When she shook her head no quicker than he could finish the sentence, he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, "I didn't look, I promise Jake." She was nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet.

When he finally opened the box all the air left Bella's lungs in a great whoosh. It was the most perfect ring she had ever seen. It was so simple, so Sarah and so her. She loved the rings that the other pack girls were sporting, large sized stones nestled between rows of diamonds but this; this ring was everything she could ever want in a ring. Bella had never been one for jewelry or flash so this ring fit her to a T.

Jake's large hands slowly began to pull the ring out of the box and Bella's heart was in her throat for fear that he was going to drop it. She cupped her hands under his and the box, she couldn't take her eyes off it. His chuckle nearly broke her concentration of the movement of the ring as he worked on wiggling it out of its holding place within the box.

"I won't drop it Honey, the only place this ring is going is on your finger, c'mere."

Her eyes met his then, the ring was now wrapped around the tip of his pinky finger, he shoved the box back into his pocket and dropped to one knee, taking her tiny hand in to his large one he dropped to his knee, "Be mine forever Honey. Marry me, Bells."

She nodded her head causing the tears that were sitting on her lashes to fall. Their eyes met, her hand raised, she spread her fingers in anticipation of the ring sitting on her finger, and then it happened. The tiny yellow gold band touched her left finger and she flinched, her hand slipped from Jake's as she brought it to her chest. To cold, the metal was so cold.

_**Just want to let everyone know that pictures of Jake's truck and Sarah's ring are posted in my photobucket album for this story, you can find the link in my profile. This ring is actually very similar to the ring my dad had custom made for my mom.**_

_**Ring links: http: (/)/ i1089 (dot) photobucket(dot)com/albums/i346/82ck10akaLynn/Lost%20To%20Me/il_fullxfull_241376940(dot) jpg**_

_**http: (/) / i1089(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/i346/82ck10akaLynn/Lost%20To%20Me/il_fullxfull_241376920(dot)jpg**_

_**Make sure to take out spaces & ()**_


	28. Chapter 25 part 2

_**A/N: The end is here! Let me tell you this was a hard one, I am so sorry that it took as long as it did but if you ask my beta Kiki Lahote how this chapter drove both me and her nuts you'll understand. I would get on a writing spree and then a detail would hang me up for days. So PLEASE PLEASE if you do anything after you read this check out my profile and the link for my photobucket account, wedding details will be there. Also there are two songs in this chapter they are absolutely amazing the link for the player is posted in my profile as well if you want to pause until you get to the wedding. Also one more thing the wedding vows were completely written by my Beta, you really don't want to know what complete shit I came up with but hers will knock your socks off.**_

**Chapter 25 Part 2**

Her eyes widened the same time his did, the tears streaming down her cheeks weren't out of happiness. No, they were out of despair, and she could see the hurt flash across his face before he locked it down and forced a smile at her.

"I'm so sorry, Bells I didn't even think," Jake was saying as he was already trying to fight the burgundy box out of his pocket.

"No!" She shouted at him stalling his movements, "I want it Jake, it just took me by surprise, its perfect-everything about it's perfect and I want it on my finger, please Jake."

He could hear her heart rate double and see the panic in her eyes at the thought of him taking the ring back. The ring was sitting in his palm now; he fisted it as he watched her eyes dart to his hand. When he opened his palm he took the ring from it and slid it onto her finger, she sighed when she didn't flinch this time, the metal warm from his heat. His sadness slipped away when he saw the triumph on her face.

He laced their hands and pulled her into his chest. Tears were still streaming down her face, now he wasn't sure from what emotion, but he felt a pang when he could hear her mumble into his chest how sorry she was. He held her tighter then and told her that she didn't have to be, that it wasn't her fault and that everything was going to be ok. Ring or no ring she was always going to be his. Deep down though, he hoped there was a way to keep the metal warm.

Their picnic was long forgotten when she peered up into his eyes, a look of shock on her face, "I'm pregnant," she whispered a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You are," Jake repeated while turning her around so his hand could rest on her stomach more comfortably. He knew Bella well enough to know that she was going to worry so he spoke just as she opened her mouth, "I called the Cullens. They'll be here in three days, I don't know who all is coming. Carlisle was shocked when I told him the news and I could hear Alice in the background screaming, they're happy for us, Bells."

"But I didn't think, how did… how do you know Jake, are you sure?"

His thumbs rubbed small circles just at her navel, her shirt ridding up with each stroke. "Last night, right after we made love, you fell asleep Bells. I had my head on your stomach and I heard it. Now that I know I can hear it right now, beating fast and strong. It sounds like humming bird wings."

"How many?"

"Just one this time honey, just one."

"Oh thank God," Bella mumbled under her breath before she was able to catch herself. Her hand shot to her mouth which had fallen open in shock, "I didn't mean."

Jake was laughing at her outburst, "I know honey you're to small for two, I'd hate to see you go through that again."

She nodded her head in agreement, "So I know you're thinking names already, aren't you?"

Jake couldn't fight the smile as he nuzzled her neck, "You know it babe, but you're just going to have to wait. There are more important things to do." With that be folded her up into his arms and briskly walked back down the path that led to their home, leaving the picnic behind.

* * *

Later that night while Bella was in the shower she ran her left hand across her abdomen, her muscles jumping at the feeling of the ring running across her skin. She wanted to cry. As the metal ring ran large circles over her stomach her skin erupted in goosebumps and it was like the ring was searing her skin on contact. Although Victoria and Riley were dead, she wondered just how long she would have to endure the pain that they had brought upon her. Upon her family, and most of all Jake.

Bella hated herself right now, the moment the ring touched her finger her heart seized when she felt the coldness of it. She would never have thought something as small as a little thin ring would cause that reaction and she was startled by it all, but as soon as it touched her she saw a flash of red waves before she saw the pain flit across Jake's face.

Her heart slammed into her chest at the sight of his pain and she panicked thinking that she was saying no to the ring, but she wasn't-oh God she wasn't. She wanted that ring, his ring, his mothers ring sitting on her left finger right where she knew it should sit, but she was scared and it seemed that Jake knew it too because he pulled back and fisted it while his eyes darted from left to right working on reading her face. With a heated breath that fanned across her face she smiled as he took her hand and slipped it into place. This time it was warm then just like him. She threw herself at him, he caught her of course, and she felt happy then.

Now, she was scared again because the ring didn't hold the heat like she thought it would. When she got back to the house as she was putting left overs in the refrigerator that cold was enough to seep into the metal and this time it stayed cold. She couldn't keep asking Jake to warm the ring so she could wear it, it would only hurt him, so she grit her teeth and went on about her night holding out as long as she could until she laced her fingers through his.

When Bella pulled the door to the shower open she saw Jake standing at the sink brushing his teeth wearing his smile while he did so. He turned to look at her and the brush dropped out of his mouth, he was touching her before it hit the floor.

"Bella, Bells, honey, are you ok, look at you. God how hot did you have the water?"

Confused, Bella turned to look at her naked body in the mirror. She looked like a lobster, her skin was as red as she has seen it in a long time and then she remembered.

When she was finally starting to snap out of the trace she had herself in she would look at herself just out of the shower and she would look the same. At the time, she knew the water was as hot as it was because she needed Jake's warmth. Now though, she didn't realize that she had the water turned up as high as she had and she didn't feel her skin tingle from the heat like she once did. She let a tear fall as Jake wrapped her up in his arms and carried her to bed.

As he slowly carried her, she could hear and feel the faint rumble rolling through his chest. She tried as hard as she could to not let any more tears fall but they kept coming, and when Jake slipped her into bed and pulled her to his chest, she cried. When the quilt that was always at the bottom of the bed softly fell over them, she sobbed.

It was all her fault and she was ruining it. The night that she thought her life was getting back on track was ruined by Victoria, Riley and most of she was ruining it because she wasn't strong enough to fight it.

She could feel the sweat and heat coming off his body not long after the cover was thrown over him and she knew that he was burning up but she didn't fight it, nor did she fight his hand when it laced with hers and his thumb continuously circled the band of her ring. He knew. Jake always knew.

* * *

Jake lay in the bed beside Bella. When they had gotten home he took his time with her, they made love nice and slow. Afterwards Bella went to the bathroom to take a shower while Jake went downstairs to get her a drink of water. As he continued to watch Bella sleeping soundly in his arms, his eyes raked over what little of her body he could see. Finally the damn red was gone and her skin was its normal milky white. He could have died when she opened the shower curtain and he saw the color of her skin. He had never seen her skin that color before in his life. He had seen her sun burnt once or twice, sure but that, he knew that sight wouldn't be leaving his mind for a while.

Bella wouldn't allow her body to separate from his at all and her hands stayed locked with his. As Jake ran his fingers over the back of her hand, her finger twitched. When his hand left hers completely, her thumb immediately began to turn the ring that sat on her left finger. Jake couldn't stop the flash of memory that hit him, her flinching back, drawing her hand completely away from his mother's ring. It was something that Jake hadn't even thought of. Bella still didn't like the cold. Although she was warming, as Carlisle had said, she still wrapped herself tight in thicker than normal clothes when she wasn't near him and when she was, she always had some part of his body touching hers, feeding off his heat.

As Jake watched Bella's thumb fiddle with the ring, he wondered if she were awake. Could she really be doing that all in her sleep? When he traced his forefinger over her ring finger, her movements instantly stilled, and then when the heat was gone the fiddling began again. His brows pinched together as he watched her hand move and twitch, spinning the ring on her finger. Jake had seen enough; it was hard pulling away from her as she slept so soundly and peacefully, but he had to do something. Looking at his mother's ring on her finger made him smile, but the sight of her left finger constantly twitching even in sleep had a pain shooting through his heart. He had to get it off of her and he was praying that she'd sleep through it.

He never would have thought there was even a possibility that Bella would sleep through what he was about to do. As soon as Jake slipped out of the bed he drew the covers around her body and tucked her in so tight he was almost sure she wasn't going to be able to breath, but at least his heat would stay with her while he was gone.

As he slowly made his way around the bed his eyes never left her. At the foot, she shifted and he froze in place humming quietly under his breath not sure if it would help or hurt, but when she stilled, he continued on. Once on her side of the bed, he squatted down, his eyes just above the mattress. His hand slowly crawled across the bed and then held hers. Holding his breath he slipped his mothers ring off her finger. He stood quietly fisting the ring, slipped on a pair of cut off shorts and walked silently out the door.

Just as Jake was about to step off the front porch he heard giggling off to the side of the house, some that sounded like Ali. Jake silently stalked to the side of the house. Ali was lying in the hammock trying to fight her barefoot out of Cole's grasp as he tickled her mercilessly.

Jake cleared his throat and both kids froze in their spot, Cole holding Ali's bare foot in his hands, Ali fighting behind him. When she saw Jake the smile slipped from her face and Cole quickly started to move away before Jake was able to stop him.

"Hey Ali, when your mom wakes up just tell her that I'm out in the shop ok, tell her not to come in because I'll be working on something and I don't want the fumes to get to her." With that, Jake gave a little nod toward the wood shop and walked away.

Cole and Ali looked at each other with wide eyes, shocked that Jake hadn't said anything to them about laying in the hammock together in the middle of the night, much less that they were wresting with each other.

"Did that just happen?" Cole asked Ali, disbelief lacing his tone.

"Uh huh," Ali said in return, just before she launched herself into Cole's arms.

* * *

As he walked across the yard, still listening to Ali for any sign that she was worried about him or what he was doing he sighed in relief when she finally told Cole that they had better get to bed. His pace was slow. His wolf was fighting his man, the wolf wanted to go back in the house to his mate, she need him. Jake knew she need this more though and he was thankful that no one else stood in the way of him and his shop, if they would have he would have sprinted back into the house forgetting what he was about to do.

Pulling the door to the shop open, he wanted to curse the when he saw the Rabbit. He was still pissed at the damn thing from earlier in the day, but when he walked over to it, he could still see the faint lines in the years of dust that Bella's fingers made that morning. Shaking his head as he walked away, he knew he couldn't take it out on the Rabbit especially after seeing her face while she was in it today. It was bad enough she was probably going to kill him for taking her ring away. He sure as hell wasn't going to add dents to the Rabbit for reasons of her wanting to kill him.

Jake's feet felt heavy as he made his way up the stairs, his wolf was still fighting him. After all these years Jake had himself convinced that he had total control over this part of him. The return of Bella completely changed his way of thinking. The wolf wasn't happy that he wasn't with his mate and the struggle between the two was almost evenly matched. He was surprised that he had made it this far, what he wasn't surprised about was the faint ache building in his chest. He needed to get this done as quickly as possible.

* * *

Looking around his shop, Jake headed for the scrap wood pile and slowly began pulling out different kinds of wood placing them on a table that he hadn't seen in months. Since Seth and Quil were now working for him in his wood shop, Jake was focusing more on getting Black's Auto Repair up to snuff, something that was needed seeing as he was thinking about expanding to Port Angeles.

Jake sat down eyeing all the tools and wood that lay out before him and slowly got to work. He found himself biting his tongue in concentration as the sweat dripped off his forehead onto the wood, cursing out loud when his to big fingers got in the way. Eventually, he got into working to the low hum of the radio in the corner.

* * *

Twelve hours.

It had been twelve hours since Bella had woken up alone and cold in their huge bed. At first she was frantic when she felt around for Jake, when her hand hit the spot on the bed where he normally would be it was cold and she shot out of bed searching for him. She got half way down the steps before she smelled breakfast and her slamming heart slowed down enough that she didn't have to have a death grip on the rail as she made her way down the rest of the steps.

When she walked into the kitchen though a frown formed on her face. Ali was moving to the music her ipod was pumping into her ears. Jake was no where to be seen. When Bella walked up to Ali and put her hand on her shoulder, Ali jumped, dropping the spatula on her foot then cursed before whipping around to meet Bella's equally shocked face.

Jerking the cord that was dangling down her neck Ali looked guilty, "Sorry Mom, you scared the crap out of me!"

"No I'm sorry I didn't even think you wouldn't be able to hear me. You must have that up pretty loud, you better be careful of your ears, Honey." Bella smiled inwardly at her string of words. The motherly instinct was so strong she didn't realize she was saying the things she was until they were spoken.

"Not too loud, I just really like the song. So, can I see it!"

Bella smiled at the sight of her daughter bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet. Without hesitation Bella held out her left hand toward her daughter and then gasped when she noticed the ring was missing.

Her eyes widened and her hand shot to her mouth to keep the scream at bay. It was bad enough that her gasp of shock had Ali looking more than a little concerned.

Ali grabbed Bella's hand and turned it so her palm was facing her then dropped it and grabbed the right one doing the same, her eyes were wide, Where's grandma Sarah's ring, he showed it to us yesterday, said he was going to ask you with it."

"I… I don't know, it was there when I went to sleep last night. Oh my God, he's going to die if I lost Sarah's ring." Bella screeched as she ripped her hand from her daughter's and bolted out of the kitchen. As Bella made a mad dash for the stairs, CJ sleepilyy stumbled out of his room rubbing his eyes. At the sight of Bella all wide-eyed and panicked he fully came to with a start. "Mom, you OK?" he yelled to Bella's quickly retreating form.

When she didn't answer he darted up the stairs, Ali on his heels. When they reached the top of the loft clothes were flying out the door and into the small space. Bella was cursing, begging God to help her find the ring.

Stepping into the room, CJ dodged a shoe and a pair of dirty boxers before he made his way over to Bella. Placing his hands on her shoulder she stilled and then tears fell down her cheeks before words could come out of her mouth. "I don't know where it is, it was right here," Bella held up her hand her ring finger pointing in the air,"when I went to sleep last night. It's not on the bed or the floor, where did it go!"

CJ could feel Bella's body shaking. He pulled her to his chest and tried to soothe her as best he could while jerking his head toward Ali trying to get her in on the search for the ring. As Ali stepped into the room she began to pick through the dirty and clean clothes that Bella had thrown all around the room, scrunching her nose in disgust.

When Bella's body finally stopped shaking, CJ loosed his grip on her enough that she was able to pull back from him and wipe the tears form her eyes.

"We'll find it Mom, maybe it just slipped off your finger. Bella nodded her head and slowly made her way to the bed and bent down to look under it, nothing. She pulled up the rug that rested under the bed and once again was met with nothing. She could feel her panic start to rise. Where was the ring? Moving quicker, Bella made it to Jake's side of the bed and jerked open his night stand drawer. As she shifted through the magazines and papers her breath caught in her throat when her hand came in contact with burgundy velvet.

Bella sat back on the bed with a heavy sigh, hearing the same from her children and slowly opened the box. A straggled breath escaped her when she saw that it was empty. Anger shot through her and she threw the box across the room where it smacked into the window and fell to the floor. Jumping up from the bed, she whirled around and began ripping the sheets off the bed along with the pillow cases. "Damn it, where is it! I can't believe I lost his mother's ring, I can't even have the damn thing in my possession for a fucking night before I loose-oh my Jake's going to kill me. Son of a bitch!"

CJ and Ali looked on as Bella threw all the sheets, covers, pillows and pillow cases around the room. Her body and face were dripping with sweat and tears and she grunted as she tried to fight the king-sized mattress away from the wall. When the shock of their mother cursing up a storm wore off they took notice of what she was trying to do and sprung into action. They couldn't let her do anything to hurt the baby.

Ali pulled Bella off the mattress and walked her to glider in the corner of the room. Pushing Bella down into the seat, Ali bent so she was eye to eye with her, "Mom, you need to calm down. Just sit here while CJ and I look for your ring, OK. Just don't do anything to hurt the baby. You can't move heavy stuff like that, you could get hurt."

Instantly Bella's hand shot to her stomach and fisted her shirt. Her eyes locked with Ali's as she bit her lower lip and nodded her head.

After an hour of searching every crevice of the room, they couldn't find the ring and Bella was in near hysterics. Neither of kids knowing what to do, called reinforcements.

Leah, Angela and Emily all arrived at the Black's house with in seconds of each other, all wearing concerned faces, although Leah's was a little more pissed off because she could hear Bella crying in the upstairs bedroom.

As the three made their way up the stairs, Ali and CJ tried to right the furniture that another round of panic had caused her to overturn. When they made it to the door, two gasps and a curse had all of their heads snapping in that direction. "I lost his mother's ring!" Bella cried to the three of them and buried her face in her hands, sobs wracking her body. Angela and Emily darted over to comfort her while Leah stayed back and took in the disaster of the room.

"Where the fuck is Jake?" Leah shouted into the room.

Bella's sobbing ceased while everyone looked at Leah, Ali's eyes a bit wider than anyone else's. "Ali where's your dad?" Leah could hear her heartbeat speed up as she walked over to Ali, "Honey, you're not in trouble just tell me where Jake is so we can fix this."

Ali's eyes shot to Bella before she spoke, "I didn't even think about it she was so upset and we didn't know what to do so we just looked for the ring. I didn't even think about Dad."

Leah smoothed Ali's hair off of her forehead and tucked it behind hear ear before she spoke in a slow calm voice, "Do you know where he is Ali. It's OK, I know you guys must have been panicked, where's your dad?"

"He came outside last night and told me to tell you that he was going to the shop and not to worry but not to bother him either. He doesn't want the fumes to get to you." She said, not taking her eyes off Bella. "I'm sorry Mom, I didn't even - "

Leah smiled at Ali and patted her shoulder then looked toward Bella, "I'll go get him Bella, it's going to be OK. Ali, CJ why don't you two start cleaning this up? Angela, Emily take Bella downstairs and get her cleaned up, too we don't want Jake," Leah said his name with a growl, "to get all worked up when he sees her."

* * *

It took everything Leah had not to rip the front door off then house when she made it across the living room. Once outside her anger got the better of her and she plowed across the front yard ready to light into Jake. Then she wrenched open the garage door and began marching toward the steps. As she got closer to the steps though, the blood pulsing in her ears wasn't the only thing she could hear.

A fist was pounding on the door; Quil and Seth were shouting and most of all she could hear screaming metal blaring from a radio. Leah took the steps three at a time and pushed her stunned brother and Quil away from the door, with a little more force than intended she realized when Quil did an endo down a couple of steps cussing all the while.

Her fist connected with the solid oak door causing her to cuss when she actually felt a sting and hear it creak and then growled in frustration when the music got a bit louder.

"Damn it Jake, you better open this damn door before it rip it off it's fucking hinges. Bella's in the house freaking out and crying what the hell are you doing out here?"

Her lips raised into a silent warning growl when she felt Seth rumble behind her and Quil's curses cut off. The two quickly shut up. The music still blaring Leah beat on the door a couple more times before the music abruptly stopped. She could hear the creak of a chair and then a sander started up.

* * *

Jake's body was shaking and sweating as he continued to work the wood, most of the morning he could hear Bella across the yard crying and upset. Just as he thought he'd finally had enough, Seth and Quil had made their way upstairs seemingly oblivious to his mate's distress as they hooted and carried on like a bunch of teenagers about their previous night with their imprints. He was so angry he nearly jerked the door open just to tear them a new one, but he fought it by flipping the deadbolt on the lock and cranking up the stereo. They hadn't been there long beating and pounding on the door when he felt his beta's anger as she swept into the garage.

She was still yelling and beating against the door when he stood to make his way over to the belt sander. This was the fifth time he had tried to get this just perfect since last night and he had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to be his last, the noise was distracting.

As she yelled and cussed at him through the door, he could hear the wood groaning under the power of her fist and he snarled just loud enough that he knew she would be able to hear him. Everything outside the door fell silent before she cursed and threw herself at the door. It buckled in under weight a piece of the inside splintering and drifting to the ground. He stopped the sander set the wood down and marched over to the door. With one slam of his fist the wood was back in its place. His face so close to the door he could smell the other three wolves on the opposite side of it, he worked to keep his already slipping composure.

"I know where the fucking ring is Leah I have it right here it's in my front damn pocket. So quit your bitching and get back in the house tell Bella that everything is ok, we're ok."

He heard her cuss at him and felt the door vibrate under another one of her punches and then she was stomping down the steps, Leah never liked Alpha commands but she'd have to deal with it. "Seth, Quil, get the hell away from the door and keep a watch on the house. Tell everyone else to patrol as normal and to leave me the hell alone until I'm done. Got it?" The last words came out in a snarl, but he held back the command knowing those two would listen.

As Jake made his way back over to the wood table his head fell forward when he felt the sting in his palms. The hint of copper filled his nostrils as he moved. When he got to the table be splayed his hands on the surface smearing his blood into the sawdust and let the angry tear slip from his eyes, "This better fucking be worth it," he mumbled to himself before he sat down in the chair and got back to work.

* * *

Not long after sunset Jake clomped down the steps of the shop shaky, hungry and still pissed off. He was almost finished, but he needed one thing and there was only one place that he could get it. No sooner than he was out the front door he was tackled to the ground by a snarling and nearly foaming at the mouth slender grey wolf. He let her stand over him snapping her jaws at his face for a minute before he brushed her off like a speck of dust, only pissing Leah off more. When she came charging back at him he phased and they ran into each other, a mass of fur, snarls and snapping teeth.

Leah was both yelling at him out of anger and disappointment as she showed him flashes of the day, of Bella. She looked like hell and even though Leah had told her on numerous occasions through out the day that Jake wasn't upset with her that the two were fine she didn't believe any of it. Finally, Leah had told her that Jake took the ring, and in Leah's mind he saw the red shoot up Bella's chest and neck into her cheeks and finally her forehead before she charged the backdoor yelling at Jake as she went. Leah's arm had grabbed her around the stomach and jerking her back into the house. The sight angered Jake more as he latched onto her hind leg causing her to yelp out in pain.

He showed Leah then his memories beginning with the moment he heard the heartbeat of his child. Jake could feel Leah's shock and guilt and handling Bella the way she had wash over him and then her body went limp, the fight was over. Jake's body was stiff from sitting in the chair for nearly twenty four hours, so he kept his wolf form. He continued to show Leah the scene from the night before, the reason for doing what he was doing and then finally just what it was that he _**was**_ doing. Her eyes widened when she saw what he had planned and before he could get the question out, she nodded her lupine head toward him, then toward the house and let him know that it was going to be worth it.

_I hope you're right, _he told her before he darted off into the woods heading in the direction of his father's house.

* * *

Bella was hot, not just warm but so hot that she flung the covers off of her torso. Then her hand flung out it smacked into something hard and even hotter than what she was. She let out a squeak when long thick fingers wrapped around her wrist and then she began swinging her hands as she fought to get her arm free. She knew it was Jake by the deep grunts and swearing as her free hand made contact over and over again with his face and chest. Finally he sat upright and caught her other hand pulling her forward so his nose was brushing against hers.

"Bells honey, stop you're only hurting yourself."

Bella flung herself at Jake as a wail escaped her lips. She pulled herself tighter to him, and threading her fingers into her hair, she scratched the back of his neck as she pulled his head down into the spot between her neck and shoulder. She held him like that as she sobbed, cried and continued to yell words at him that he couldn't manage to understand. When the full out sobbing slowed into slight hiccupping every now and then he pulled her back and looked into her eyes. They were bloodshot and puffy, tears still slowly slid down her cheeks, he could feel tears pricking at his own. He messed up and he knew it then.

"Bells honey, I'm so sorry, I didn't think, I just… after the shower when we were in bed I was watching you and you were sleeping and your finger kept twitching and you were turning the ring, I'm so sorry, Honey."

Bella angrily wiped at her eyes while nodding her head, "Why did you leave, why did you take it from me?"

Her legs were on either side of his lap. Her breath fanning across his face had him in a trance. He could hear the words she was saying as she said them, but he couldn't focus on anything. His wolf was howling at being this close to its mate and all it wanted to do was, well… mate. It had been too long, two days was longer then he would have liked. He felt her shove at his shoulder his eyes snapped to hers, "I left because I was trying to fix it, the ring is still in my pocket, but you're not getting it back, Honey."

He saw her lips tremble at the words and her eyes start to tear yet again. Cupping her cheeks in his palms, he kissed her trembling lips, hoping they would stop. This isn't the way he wanted any of this to go, but he just didn't think. His mind was set on overdrive when it came to trying to fix the problem that he really didn't take in just how Bella was really going to take all of it.

As he pulled back he let his breath fan across her face and her body relaxed. His hands still cupping her cheeks, he rubbed his thumbs under her eyes getting rid of the tears before they fell. "I don't want there to be a constant reminder of your past, Honey. That ring, my mom's ring was doing that. I get it now, it was cold, wasn't it, Honey and it reminded you of when you were with her and without me."

"Oh Jake, I'm so sorry," Bella wailed again as she clutched at his hair, pulling him closer to her once more.

"Don't be sorry Bells, just tell me."

She took in a shuddering breath as she looked around the room avoiding his knowing eyes, "I just -" she paused biting her lip, still not making eye contact with him. "I felt her; saw her when it touched me. I don't know why but it felt so cold and as soon as it touched me I could see her hair and feel her hands on my skin."

"You're never going to feel that again Bells. If someone in the pack has to be by your side every single day for the rest of your life we'll be there. You're never going to feel it again."

"But I don't want to feel that way, I don't want someone to have to do that, be with me like a child. I just want to be me, why can't I just be me?"

Jake pulled Bella to him kissing her forehead, his lips still at her hairline, "It's going to get better Bells, I'll make it better, I promise you."

"How do you know that, Jake?"

"Honey, Carlisle said you're temperature is going up, and your blood was still looking good even though you weren't taking the medicine. You're getting better Bells and I think it's because you're here in La Push, close to me and the pack. We're helping you."

"But your mother's ring." Bella whispered in a pained voice.

"Ali can have my mom's ring Bells, when the times right. I've got something better for you Honey."

"I don't think anything is better than that, Jake her ring is beautiful. It's your mother's."

"I know Honey, I know but I won't have anything making you uncomfortable, no matter how much you or I both love it." With that Jake pushed Bella back on to his outstretched legs so she sat just above his knee caps. He shifted as he dug his hand into the front pocket of his cutoffs. Bella's heart was pounding in her chest, wondering what he was doing, what he was doing with his mother's ring. He had told her it was still in his pocket.

She watched, her eyes locked on his front left pocket as he fought something out of his pocket, grunting as he did so. Finally his fist came out of his pocket. Bella saw his white knuckles and her eyes shot up to his.

"This is what I was doing when I was in the shop, and Bells I'm sorry I didn't come back in and I'm sorry I told Leah to keep you here but I wanted it just right and I just needed to concentrate to do it. I'm sorry I hurt you but I hope this is going to make up for it."

Jake pulled her hand under his outstretched one and slowly uncurled his fingers. A small wooden box dropped into her hands and she gasped. The wood was old looking with specs of red paint on the lid and sides of the box. "You made me a box?" He chuckled at the question in her voice as he opened his mouth to speak she cut him off, "Out of wood from your dad's house. That is wood from your dad's house, isn't it Jake?"

Jake's cheeks flushed at her slightly scolding tone, "It's wood from Billy's house yes, Bells. Well, the windowsill right outside my old room."

He chuckled again at the confusion written on her face. "Open the box Bells, I didn't spend two days making that tiny box. That," he tapped the lid of the box with his forefinger, " took about twenty minutes. After I got into it with Leah and actually made it over to the house, Billy was awake and caught me. He thought I was a cat burglar of all things."

Bella's hands were slowly shaking as she slid the lid off of the box. There was a little piece of purple tissue paper tied with a brown leather bow. As her hands slowly untied the small bow and moved the paper aside, her eyes grew wider.

"Jake."

"I was working on it the entire time I was in there, Honey. I made seven of them before I got it just right. One for me too."

Her eyes kept moving from his to the box, her fingers still shaking as her finger traced the circle. He could see the smile slowly begin to spread across her face, "You made this for me? One for you too?"

"One for me too; it matches yours, the wood anyway. The guys would give me too much shit if I put bling on mine like I did yours."

"She pulled the tiny piece of wood from the box eyeing it closely. "What is it?"

"Mother of pearl. I was so happy to find it. Nothing that I put in it looked right and then I remembered a couple of years back before he died, I made Old Quil a cane and he wanted mother of pearl on the handle. There was just enough left over for me to crush down and put in your ring."

"You made me a ring." Her eyes were bright and shining she was still holding the ring looking at the beauty of it.

"I did honey, it's made from a sequoia and the inlay is mother of pear like I said, do you like it?"

"I love it, Jake" Bella whispered as she dropped the ring into his palm. He smiled at her and brought the ring to her finger. She didn't flinch, only smiled and pushed her hand forward into the ring as he pushed it down onto her finger.

"It's so beautiful Jake, I love it."

"Better than my mother's ring?"

"You made this Jake, it's definitely better than your mother's ring."

"So you're not mad at me anymore?"

"You're lucky Jacob Black, I love this ring and I love you."

"Love you too, Bells."

* * *

Jake was watching Bella move around their kitchen with a smile on her face when the shrill ring of a phone startled him out of his trace. Huffing, Jake stood and made his way over to the phone hanging on the far side of the kitchen. As soon as he answered the phone his eyes clinched shut and his grip on the receiver had it cracking under the pressure. Bella quickly turned to see him biting his lip and white knuckles as he tried to regain his composure.

The smooth sophisticated voice floating through the phone instantly had his skin crawling, almost itching to phase. As Jake heard the voice, the movement across the kitchen held his attention. Her heart rate had picked up and was ever so slowly moving closer to him, and then he could hear the other heartbeat, the one that was moving a mile a minute. When her fingers laced through his and slowly pulled the phone away from his ear his eyes shot open.

Bella's eyes were wide as she looked at him, his head dipping down following the movement of the phone. When she pressed it to her ear she gave his hand a little squeeze while letting a nervous smile tug at the corner of her mouth, "Carlisle can you please call back in twenty minutes? Thank you." Bella didn't wait for an answer before her finger pressed the button as she took the phone from her ear, both of their hands still attached and moved it to the wall mount.

"Are you OK, Jake? We don't need to meet them if it's too much for you. We can call Sue, she's still practicing at the clinic here on the rez and she is head nurse at Forks General now. I'm sure she knows what she's doing."

"It came so fast Bells, three days."

"I know Jake but like I said we can-"

"No Honey, we need to get you over there so we know that everything's ok with you and the baby." Jake said while rubbing his hand over her still flat stomach.

"It's not going to be too much, I mean we can have someone come with us. Would that make it better?"

Bella could see it in his eyes, she knew the answer. Although he really didn't want to answer the question, he knew deep down it would be better. He wasn't sure how many of them were back and just hearing Carlisle's voice on the phone had nearly sent him over the edge. What was he going to do when his marble hands were touching Bella's skin right above where his baby was, drawing her blood again to make sure that they both were OK?

Before Jake can realize what she is doing Bella has the phone to her ear and it's ringing, "Is Leah there?" She waited, watching Jake for his reaction. When he didn't make a move to slam the phone back down, Bella let out a breath of air she wasn't really aware that she was holding.

"Hey Leah, it's Bella. Um, I don't know if Jake told you, but he called the Cullens when he found out about the- " Bella's sentence is cut off when he heard a growl from the phone. He growled back causing Leah's to abruptly stop. Bella rolled her eyes at him before she continued on, "Well they just called and they're here-" Bella's cut off again when Leah's growl comes out more of a snarl this time, but Jake doesn't return with a warning of his own, only shakes his head in Bella's direction, "Right anyway I don't think, um could you come with us?"

There was a silence on the other end of the line, Bella was wrapping her finger nervously through the curled cord biting her lip, waiting for a reply from Leah, "Sure Bella, I'll come along, but Seth's right here in the kitchen and he heard that they're back he says he's coming too." It came as a shock to Bella but not really to Jake as he heard Seth's voice in the background low enough that Bella couldn't hear.

When her eyes darted to Jake, he simply nodded his head yes, and then took the phone from Bella. She slumped into his arms as he took over the conversation, "I'll tell Cullen we'll be there in an hour. You want to meet us here and we'll take the truck over? Alright see you in a bit Leah, Seth."

* * *

Bella was startled some thirty minutes later when she stepped off the last step of the stairs leading from their bedroom to find her living room full of the pack. Her eyes scanned the room searching for Jake, but he was nowhere to be found. As her eyes made their way around the room again, they closed in on Seth who was standing in the corner scratching the back of his neck looking guilty. Bella squeezed her eyes into slits before walking toward him.

"OK, so I couldn't help it Bella, really, you're pregnant with the Alpha's pup and you're walking right into the house of the enemy." He shrugged as if it was no big deal that all the wolves in attendance weren't looking very happy with the situation.

"So you just decided to call the pack and tell them all to come with us, Seth?"

His eyes darted around the room as her hands flapped wildly at her sides, "Do you know how many of them are here Bella?" his voice sounding a little more forceful then she had heard out of Seth.

"No."

"Well we're not going to let you just walk in there outnumbered with our Alpha and Beta, that just doesn't make sense."

"You think calling the entire pack to just tag along does?"

Paul stood then, blocking Bella's sight of Seth. Her eyes shot up to his. "You want to get taken again? This time taking an unborn member of this pack with you, that would kill him and you know it."

Bella could see Sam's head drop into his hands and his head shake in disbelief. "You really think the Cullens are going to try to take me?"

"Who knows what the hell they have planned, you stayed with them for years, Bella. What if they miss you, want you back?" She was taken off-guard when a member of the pack she hardly knew spoke up. Her eyes shot to him, trying to picture the face that went with the name.

"Brady?" it was said with question because the two boys Colin and Brady looked so much alike she wasn't really sure which was which. When he nodded his head she continued on, "They aren't going to take me."

"Whatever, Bella listen: we aren't going to let the four of you go over there without back up. You are part of this pack now, and we're going to protect you whether you think you need it or not. We're going."

Bella's hands shot to her hips the tell-tale flush of red slowly started to make it's way up her neck. "Listen, Paul-" her rant was caught in her throat when Embry stood to her side and turned her so that she was facing him. "Bella, we don't want to make you mad or get you upset, but you need to realize that no matter what you say to us about them, it isn't going to change our minds. You and this baby of Jake's are our number one priority at the moment and Jake's control is right there behind it. He's thinking the same thing we are Bella, but it's worse for him. He wouldn't make it if you were taken again."

"But they're not-"

"Going to take you, they might not, Bella, but what if someone followed them? What if Edward came with them and changed his mind? There's too many what-if's to make us feel safe enough letting you go."

"Did you ask Jake? What does he think of all of this?"

"He's talking to Carlisle on the phone right now; he's on the back deck."

"All of you really plan on going with us?"

"The kids are staying; Cole and CJ are going to stay phased just in case anything happens, so we can let them know what is going on."

Bella looked around the room at the pack once more. The tension was gone from their shoulders and they all were looking a little more relaxed, seeing as how Bella wasn't putting up too much of a fight when it came to the topic at hand. Letting her hands drop, Bella sighed, "Fine, but please don't start anything."

There was a glint in Paul's eyes when he answered. "We won't." Bella groaned and walked out of the room to meet Jake.

* * *

"OK, Bella I need you to just lift your shirt high enough so that I can put this gel on your stomach so we can check to make everything is OK with the baby."

Bella watched as Carlisle moved around the room, slowly wheeling the ultrasound machine closer to the hospital bed that he had set up in his abandoned library. He hadn't looked her directly in the eye once since they had arrived at the Cullen mansion greeted by an overly anxious Alice who almost set off Seth, of all people, when she grabbed Bella up in a soft hug quicker than anyone could blink. All the wolves shot to her and Jake's side snarling.

Alice paid them no mind as she pulled Bella back from her and ran her eyes down Bella's body her eyes were wide and she had a huge smile on her face, "Bella, you're glowing!"

Alice finally released Bella when they got into the living room and Jasper made her aware of the fear and anger radiating from all of the wolves. Leah's hand was clamped onto Jake's shoulder holding him in place.

Bella slowly lifted her shirt and squeaked when a cold blob of liquid was squirted on to her stomach. Her muscles contracted and her grip on Jake's hand tightened. Then Jake's other hand flattened over her belly and rubbed the gel in, heating it and her now cold skin. His eyes shot to Carlisle, a low growl rumbling in his throat, "She doesn't like the cold."

Carlisle nodded his head and grabbed the wand and slowly began to work it across Bella's abdomen. They both sat watching in awe as Carlisle pointed out the parts of their baby to them, head, legs, body, arms, and then the heartbeat. Bella was overwhelmed, seeing the baby move within her belly. It was too early for her to feel anything yet, she knew that, but the movement on the screen left her captivated.

"It looks like you are almost ten weeks along Bella," he said while pointed at the screen showing Bella just how the baby was measuring.

Jake dropped his head and chuckled at the news. He could hear Embry and Quil down stairs exchanging money. Well, Embry was getting the money from the bet that Quil had just lost. The baby was conceived just like Embry had pointed out a few nights before on the cliff. Of course, Jake's luck the baby had been conceived the first night they slept together when Bella came back.

Without taking her eyes off the screen she whispered to the room, "So there really is only one?"

Jake wasn't sure if she sounded disappointed or relived, "Yeah Honey, it looks like it."

Her hand squeezed his and then she smiled and touched the screen tracing the baby with shaking fingers as a tear slid down her cheek her hand squeezed his tighter, "We're having another baby, Jake."

* * *

He leaned forward, kissing her temple and smiled, "Yeah Honey, we are," she could hear the quiver in his voice as he spoke into her hair and then she felt his lips spread into a smile and she smiled too.

* * *

After the ultrasound and a few instructions to take it easy and reassurances to both Bella and Jake, along with most of the pack, that the baby was, in fact, fine and doing well, Carlisle brought his black bag into the living room where Jake and Bella had moved and began to examine Bella like he had after the fight. Alice and Esme were standing at Carlisle's side as he slipped the needle into her arm. She could feel Jake's body shaking as his eyes never left the needle. Before she could blink the needle and vials that held her blood were in his bag and an alcohol swab, band aid and Jake's hand were covering the spot on her arm.

Carlisle continued the general exam, checking her eyes, ears, throat and heartbeat before slipping a thermometer into her mouth. As she sat feeling like a kid at a well-check she looked around the room. Esme was looking at her with that motherly look Bella knew so well. She could tell that Esme wanted to hold her in her arms like she used to, wanting to just let her know that everything was fine, while Alice nearly bounced from foot to foot overly excited as usual. Jasper stood in the corner of the room eyes darting to all of the wolves slowly one at a time and then back to her only to repeat the process over again.

When the thermometer beeped, Carlisle slipped it from her lips, checked it and then showed it to Jake who's eyes widened in what Bella knew was surprise, "What, what's wrong is something going on?" Her hand shot out grabbing Carlisle's before the thought crossed her mind. The shock of his cold skin wasn't nearly as shocking as what the thermometer said 98.9

"Is that… is that right?"

"I can take it again if you'd like, Bella."

"Her eyes met his unbelieving and pleading, please."

Carlisle reached into his bag once more this time pulling out a glass thermometer. He shook it once then slowly slipped it into her mouth.

"I'm sure that was correct Jacob and if it is true then her temperature is normal, perfectly normal for a pregnant female. It also could prove that our assumption to the reason why Bella's temperature continued to drop the longer she was gone wrong. If her blood doesn't show venom in her system then I can pretty much guarantee the reaction that Bella was having was due to the forced separation of your imprint and not to the venom from Victoria. Bella, have you been able to use your power since the fight?"

Carlisle asked as he slipped the glass thermometer from her mouth, his eyes shined and then he showed it to Jake once again before showing it to her.

Bella's jaw fell slack as she took in the same reading on the glass thermometer as the digital one, "I haven't even tried to use it."

"Can you try now? I don't want you to over exert yourself but I would like for you to try and tell Jake something, anything using your power."

Bella turned looking toward Jake, her hand shook free of his and her palms found each side of his neck. Bella closed her eyes and pushed all over feelings at Jake. Everything that she had felt since she woke up that morning, since Jake had given her the wooden ring that he had made her, her reaction to the pack being there to support her even though she knew every single one of them were more than tense sitting in the Cullen house, and finally she pushed her happiness toward him.

When she stopped Jake's hands were sitting on her waist his fingers rubbing soothing circles on her hipbones. Her eyes began to water as she looked into his shining ones, "Bells, I didn't get any of that."

She launched herself at him clutching at him as she threaded her fingers through the back of his hair, her forehead rested on his, "You didn't?"

"Not a peep, not a feeling."

"Would you try again on someone else?"

Bella turned nodding her head and biting her lip; she stood and made her way over to Paul.

"For fuck's sake are you serious? You are really going to do this freaky shit to me again, Bella?"

Bella's hand clamped down as much as it could on Paul's wrist and she thought of each time he had interrupted her and Jake and how much she really wanted to slap him across the face when he got that stupid sneer on his face.

"Oh looks like you aren't a vampy freak anymore Bella, just a freak in the sheets."

Bella dropped her grip from his wrist just in time because in the next second Paul was getting slapped in the back of the head by a grumbling Leah, who looked apologetically at her.

Carlisle cleared his throat grabbing all of their attention, "Jacob, it should take a day at the most for me to test these samples, and I will call you and let you know what we find. I'd like to come back twice a month to keep check on Bella during the duration of her pregnancy and possibly move back to Forks temporarily toward the end of her pregnancy to make sure that she doesn't go into shock like the last time."

Jake looked at Bella. She nodded her head in agreement while trying to hide a yawn, "That would be fine we can talk more about this when we get the results, it's been a long day I think we need to get Bella home so she can get some rest."

Carlisle closed the black bag and held it in his hand as he began leading the pack to the front door, "Jake, can I talk to Bella alone just for a second?"

Alice's question took the both off guard, normally she wouldn't have asked she would have just done has she pleased. Jake dropped Bella's hand and stepped back as Alice took hers and slowly led her up the stairs to her old bedroom.

When Bella entered the room the makeshift bed was long gone but her cheeks still flushed at the memories. She caught Alice smiling at her out of the corner of her eye, "I don't think I have ever seen you happier Bella. Even all those years ago when you were with Edward. You love him, don't you?"

Bella fingered the wooden ring on her left hand as her smile grew, "More than anything, Alice. He's my everything."

"Can I see it?" Alice said while moving closer to Bella, eyeing the ring on her finger.

Bella held her hand up so Alice could inspect the ring, "Bella, it's beautiful."

"He made it with his own two hands for me. He asked with his mother's ring, but-" her head dropped as she felt her lip begin to quiver, thinking of her involuntary reaction to his mother's ring, "It was too cold."

"No matter what the other ring looked like Bella, this one is perfect for you. No other ring would suit you and him better, Bella."

Bella whiped at the tears preparing herself to say something to Alice, but she was quickly cut off when Alice began jumping in place clapping her hands, "I have a present for you!"

Bella groaned, "Alice you shouldn't… why do you always have to buy something for-"

"Oh, deal with it Bella. It might be the last time I get to buy you something. Besides, from what I hear you have a wedding coming up and it has to be soon if you don't want to have a baby belly in your pictures, so I got you this."

A large white box was practically shoved under Bella's nose. She took a step back, looking for a place to sit so she could open the box when Alice as graceful as ever just dropped to the floor, crossing her legs. Pulling the box back, Alice waited for Bella to sit on the floor as well.

"OK, so I have to tell you this before you open it, I ordered it off the internet two sizes bigger than what you were the last time I measured you and it's preserved which may seem odd to you because it's something you may want to do after the wedding, but I figured they wouldn't want to smell us on you on your special day. So go ahead. Open it, tell me what you think."

* * *

Bella stood in front of the full length mirror slowly smoothing down the non-existent wrinkles in the ivory-colored lace dress. It was the most beautiful dress that Bella had ever seen and she was sure that Jake was going to die when he saw it. When she had opened the box in Alice's room she gasped, it definitely wasn't what Bella had been expecting. Alice had picked out and bought her a wedding dress.

The dress was made of the softest lace; it had a high scallop neckline in the front with a deep V-back, something that Bella was nervous about. When she had gotten home that night she locked herself and Ali in the bathroom upstairs and ripped it out of the protective packaging letting her daughter sniff the dress for any sign of smell. When she held the dress up and saw how the back was cut she freaked out and called Alice, screeching that something had to be done to the dress, that everyone at the wedding would be able to see the scars on her back. Alice simply called her silly and told her that she had the perfect hairdo in mind and not to worry.

Bella's eyes wondered down her dress and took in the champagne sash that was tied around her waist. Then her eyes fell on the tiny bump that was just beginning to show, Alice was right, the wedding had to come much sooner than later and Bella was so thankful. One, because finally after all the years she was actually going to be able to marry Jacob Black and two, because this dress was too beautiful not to wear. She could see her daughter and Angela standing behind her in dresses that matched the sash on her own and she smiled.

Both of them walked forward and stood beside Bella looking into the mirror. The dress was form fitting until it flared just slightly at the hip and had a short train. Bella was wearing no shoes, had no veil and a very small bouquet of wildflowers she and Ali had picked on the walk to the clearing where the wedding was set to take place. Her hair was down in big waves. Starting at her temple, strands were twisted and tied in the back with the small leather strap that was wrapped around her ring.

Bella sucked in a breath and turned to Ali, tears glistening in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but her daughter looked so beautiful. There were only four people in the wedding. Ali, Angela, CJ and Embry. Her daughter had hardly any make-up on she didn't really need it. She was so naturally beautiful Bella told her that morning that she didn't need any. When her words caught in her throat, Ali wrapped Bella in a hug much like Jake's and whispered _Congratulations, Mom you deserve it_. Bella's hold on her daughter tightened and she kissed her head and pushed her daughter back fighting the tears that were coming, "Cole isn't going to know what to think seeing you, Ali. You're beautiful." Her daughter blushed before shaking her head and walking toward the tent opening.

Bella turned to Angela who was holding her small bouquet wearing a huge smile, "I'm so happy for you Bella, you deserve this both of you, and the kids too."

"Thanks Ang," Bella said. As she took the flowers from Angela they could hear the gussets getting loud and the light in the tent was becoming more and more shaded, the sun was setting. Taking a deep breath, the girls walked out of the tent.

As Bella made her way down the dirt road, her eyes fell on the tree that she had wrecked her bike into all those years ago. Not far from that was the spot where she and Jake had made love for the first time. She couldn't help but fight the blush that had made its way up her neck when she heard Angela's soft laughter; she knew. Bella had told her every detail. Shaking her head, the three continued on.

Bella had no clue what Jake had in store for her, not long after they had come out of the bathroom from looking at the dress for the first time, she found Jake sitting on the bed watching her intently, ringing his hands. As she got closer to him she noticed that he was ringing his hands to keep them from shaking.

When she sat down beside him on the bed he took a deep breath, and turned toward her. "Bells, I want to ask you something and I don't want you to get mad." Bella nodded her head and clasped her hands together; the only thought in her mind was _this cannot be good_.

Jake could see the worry on her face and he tried hard not to chuckle, but when she bit her lip and her forehead scrunched just so she looked so cute. "Bells Honey, it's nothing bad, well I hope it's nothing bad. I just want to know if you trust me completely."

Bella's breath fanning across his face and her hand coming to rest on top of his sweaty ones showed her relief, "Of course I trust you Jake, I've always trusted you, and I trust you with my life."

"Will you trust me with your wedding?"

"Will I trust you with my wedding, what are you talking about Jake?"

"I just I want to get married Bells. Right now, as soon as possible. I'm tired of you not being my wife, not being a Black. I have an idea and I want to know if you trust me enough to let me do it?"

"You… you want to get married now, like right now?"

He could hear the nervousness in her voice as she spoke and he laughed again, "Bells, you're too much. I want to get married as soon as possible not tonight, but uh…" he was scratching his neck now, the nervousness back, " not this Saturday but next?"

"Next Saturday!" Bella squeaked and shot off the bed, her eyes darting around the room looking for something she didn't know.

"Bells honey, it's going to be ok, everyone we know lives right here on the rez, and all we have to do is call your mom and you know she'll come, if she's not on her way back already."

"My mom" Bella huffed out as she flopped onto the bed. "Awe Bells, it isn't that bad."

"Jake, she yelled at me for almost three hours the last time she came. You thought she just took me out to lunch, oooh no she is totally going to freak that I'm married let alone pregnant again. Oh my God Jake, I haven't even told her that I'm pregnant yet and now I'm going to tell her that I'm getting married, too something that she doesn't really have any faith in."

"Bells," Jake gave her one of his sunny smiles, "relax honey I'll call your mom and tell her if you're worried about it."

"Oh stop Jake, I'll call her and let her know that we're getting married, but what about when she asks about the wedding?"

"You just break the news to her and then give me the phone and I'll tell her the rest."

Bella was nervous to say the least about Jake planning and decorating the location of the wedding. All of the other girls helped her with everything else when it came to the wedding. As she walked side by side with Angela and Ali she was happy for the day to finally be here. The last two weeks had been an endless marathon for everyone in the pack, between work and planning for the wedding, everyone was ready to just let loose and have some fun.

Finally, Bella rounded the curve and stopped dead in her tracks. The sun was covered now by clouds and just barely sitting above the mountain tops on the other side of the meadow. The lake was slowly rippling in the wind. Everyone was standing, the aisle was lined with stacked branches laid on the ground leading the way to the driftwood archway at the very mouth of the lake. Jake stood, his back facing Bella. She couldn't take her eyes off his broad shoulders and his freshly cut hair. His suit, what she could see of it, matched the sash on her dress perfectly.

When Seth started beating on the drums, the crowd turned in Bella's direction, Angela and Ali moved in front of her and Charlie who Bella hadn't even noticed moved to her side placing her arm around his. Her eyes tore away from Jake's back and shot toward Charlie. His eyes were red and puffy but he wore a smile as wide as Bella had ever seen it.

Leaning down he kissed Bella's forehead and squeezed her hand, "You look stunning Bells."

"Thanks Dad," she said while smiling up at her father. Her heart rate picked up when out of the corner of her eye Angela who was standing right in front of her slowly began making her way down the aisle and then her eyes moved up and she noticed that Jake was turned facing her. Their eyes locked and she took a step forward, but Charlie held her back, "Just one second Bells, you gotta let Angela get a few steps ahead. He'll be there when you get there."

Bella's mouth was slightly open but she couldn't take her eyes off Jake and it seemed that he was having just as much trouble standing still as she was, seeing as how Embry's hand was clasped onto his shoulder. Bella quickly shook her head but didn't move the step back, Charlie took a step meeting her.

When Angela was at the end of the aisle, the noise of the drums slowed and then cut off completely. A smooth voice cut through the air and a slow song flowed out of the speakers that were on the ground. The song had Bella almost floating toward Jake and his smile, their eyes never left each other, and before she knew it Bella was standing a couple of feet from the wooden arch and Jake came to meet them.

With one last squeeze of her hand and a kiss to her forehead, Charlie unhooked their arms and placed Bella's tiny hand into Jake's large awaiting one, "You kids are finally doing it." He said before looking at Billy who was sitting in his chair on a small platform just under the arch. The men nodded their heads at each other and Billy cleared his throat to begin the ceremony.

"Friends and family. We are gathered here today to share in the joy of Jacob Black and Isabella Swan as they join their lives together in matrimony. Today we do not witness the creation of a union, but rather the solidifying of a love that has existed for years. The road to this moment has not been an easy one, but today we witness the beginning of a happily-ever-after. The couple has prepared their own vows, which they will share with you now." With a pride-filled nod at Jacob, Billy took a step back.

Taking Bella's hands in his, Jake began. "Bella, my Bells. You are the love of my life, the _only_ woman I have loved, the only woman I have ever imagined spending my life with. For many years our bodies have been apart, but there hasn't been a moment in which my heart has not reached out for you, and in some way, felt your heart reaching out for me. For 16 years I did not live a moment without love for you, not a moment without the knowledge that I was created for you. Now, here with you, under this arch, I promise you that you will not live another moment without me. You will not live another moment without knowing how deeply I love you, how deeply I always have loved you."

He turned to Embry who passed him something. Turning back to Bella, he took her left hand in his and placed a second small wooden ring on the tip of her finger. "I carved this ring for you from a sequoia that still stands strong on Quileute land. Its roots grow deep into the soil and its branches reach the sky. Like that sequoia, my love for you will stay strong long after our lives are over. My roots also go deep into Quileute land and my heart now soars in the sky." With that he slid the smooth, red wood onto her finger.

After such a speech, Bella wasn't sure she could find the words she'd wanted to say to him. She squeezed his hands and looked to the ground as a blush crept across her face. She was frozen and couldn't remember a word of her vows. God, she was going to die right here of embarrassment. Then she looked into Jake's eyes and her heart began to spill over with feelings. She opened her mouth and just let them flow out.

"Jacob, I have loved you so much for so long. Never has there been a better man than you. Never has there been a man who would go as far as you have gone for me, do the _unbelievable_ things you have done for me, and hold the amazing love that you hold for me. After so long apart I was certain all of this would have faded, but it has only grown. So has my love for you."

She turned to Angela for Jacob's ring, one that was slightly different than hers but she could tell made from the same wood. Turning back to him she placed it on the tip of his finger. Looking back into his eyes, a tear ran down her cheek as she continued. "With this ring, I promise you that you will not live another moment without me, not another moment without knowing exactly how much I love you, exactly how much you mean to me. Like this sequoia, I hope that my roots will also grow deep into Quileute land. You are a better man than I could ever deserve, but today I am proud to call you my husband." Ending her speech, she slid the ring onto his finger.

Until Billy stepped forward to speak once again, both had forgotten they were not alone. "As the tribal chief of the Quileute tribe, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Black." His voice catching in his throat, "You may now kiss your bride, Son."

He glanced at his father with a smile, took Bella's face in both hands and kissed her gently on the lips. Their audience clapped and the pack shouted "Boooo! MORE!"

A smile crept across his face, fear across Bella's and he swept her entire body into his arms, bent her over backward and gave her a deep, passionate kiss that had the imprints exchanging glances and the pack roaring in cheers.

* * *

Bella and Jake sat at the head table looking out at all of their guests. The sun was down now and the wind, although cool was blowing just enough to rock the paper lanterns that were hanging from the trees and strands of lights back and forth. There was a bonfire to the left at the edge of lake. People were sitting around chatting and laughing while others ate on the stumps and logs scattered through out the meadow. Emily and Angela, with help from the pack had made most of the food. It was normal bonfire food. Jake and Bella didn't want anything too fancy and while they looked on at their guests eating hotdogs, hamburgers and potato salad they were happy. This was so them. Everyone was relaxed and having fun.

Bella felt Jake's arm brush up against hers and she looked at him with a smile on her face. He looked so good in his suit. The tan jacket was hanging off the back of his chair, the top three buttons of his white shirt were open and he had rolled his sleeves up over his elbows. He looked too damn good. Bella shifted in her seat fighting the urge to jump him right there. He took a deep breath in right after her movement and smiled that knowing smile, while picking her hand up and kissing the back of it.

When her eyes drifted from his to the cake table that sat behind him she caught herself taking in every detail of her cake once again. Emily had been putting the last minute touches on the cake up until the wedding began. Bella hadn't seen any of her friend's work before, although she knew that she and Angela and Rachel had a bakery, but their work was amazing.

The cake was four tiers. The top two were covered in a lace pattern with a brown bow on the third that matched the tie that Jake, CJ and Embry wore. A throat was cleared drawing Bella's attention to her mother who was standing up at the table off to the side where she Phil, Sue and Charlie were seated.

"Everyone, I think it's time for Bella and Jake's first dance as husband and wife."

Bella's face flushed and she grabbed Jake's hand on top of the table, still after all these years she had no idea how to dance. Jake leant forward and kissed the top of her forehead and told her that she'd be OK. Pulling Bella from the table he made his way to the makeshift dance floor. As they walked, a song Bella had never heard before began to play, and Jake took her into his arms. Pulling her closer to his body Jake bent so that his lips were barely brushing her and then he started singing.

_**I guess you don't need it**_

_**I guess you don't want me to repeat it**_

_**But everything I have to give I'll give to you**_

_**It's not like we planned it**_

Bella's grip on the back of Jake's neck tightened as he sang the words, barely above a whisper, into her ear. His earthy breath causing her eyes to flutter close.

_**You tried to stay, but you could not stand it**_

_**To see me shut down slowas though it was an easy thing to do**_

_**Listen when**_

_**All of this around us'll fall overI tell you what we're gonna do**_

_**You will shelter me my love**_

_**And I will shelter you**_

_**I will shelter you**_

The words Jake was singing to her were hitting her so hard that she could feel the tears welling in her eyes and her legs start to tremble as they slowly swayed in a circle.

_**I left you heartbroken, but not until those very words were spoken**_

_**Has anybody ever made such a fool out of you**_

_**It's hard to believe it**_

_**Even as my eyes do see it**_

_**The very things that make you live are killing you**_

_**Listen when all of this around us'll fall over**_

_**I tell you what we're gonna do**_

_**You will shelter me my love**_

_**I will shelter you**_

_**Listen when**_

_**All of this around us'll fall over**_

_**I tell you what we're gonna do**_

_**Hey you will shelter me my love**_

Bella could tell that the song was coming to an end. Jake's grip on her had tightened over the course of his singing; his voice was getting softer and softer.

_**I will shelter you**_

_**If you shelter me too**_

_**I will shelter you**_

_**I will shelter you**_

When the music ended he cupped her cheeks in his large warm hands. The tips of his fingers were rubbing soft circles in her hair. He bent down and their eyes locked, "I will Bells, I promise with everything that's in me I'll keep you and our family safe, I'll be there to protect you for the rest of my life."

"As he held her close, long after the song ended, she knew he would…"

**~The End~ **

**__****Yet another A/N: The wooden rings... my husband and I seriously looked into getting them for our 5 year wedding anniversary 2 years ago, we didn't of course but I still hint around that I would really want one, and I do belive that that ring fits Jake and Bella better. ALSO Kiki Lahote is writing a Paul/Rachel story and has posted it here on it is called When All Else Falls Away. You can find her in my Favorite Authors list and her story will be in my Favorite Stories as well. **


	29. Epilogue

_**A/N: So here it is, the Epilogue. I just wanted to say before you all read this chapter that it was hard for me to write it and I'm finding that letting this story go is even harder, so this is what I am thinking. I've been getting PM's asking for outtakes and I already have one a Cole/Ali outtake. I plan on posting it sometime soon, but if there's something that you really want to see shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can come up with ;) Also, I just want to let everyone know that I already have yet another Jake/Bella story in the works a couple chapters complete already. The second part to Lost Time which you can find in my profile shouldn't be very far off either. Not only that but I have a Embry/Bella story in the works too, it was originally supposed to be a one-shot but right now I'm at 19 pages with that sucker so it may end up being a short story? Either way just wanted to let everyone know to keep an eye out put this story on alert for outtakes and put me on alert for all the stories that I have plans for.**_

**_Epilogue_**

Cole was sitting on his back porch watching Ali and their boys play. She was on her knees growling at them and they were all over her, jumping on her back at the same time and then crawling under her. Cole loved watching his wife and kids play. They did this every evening when Cole got off patrol. It had only been four years since all of the older wolves stopped phasing and Cole took his place as Beta in CJ's pack. He was happy where he was in his life.

He was living on the rez smack dab between his parents and Ali's; his kids Holden 4 and Wes 3 were the light of his life. Cole and Ali had been married for four years but they had been living together since Ali had turned 18. A year after Ali graduated high school she moved in with Cole; only months after the house that his dad and he had built was finished.

Once upon a time though, only days before Cole had asked Ali to move in with him, something happened that made him think he was going to lose his everything.

One day they were on the beach when a voice with an accent that he couldn't recognize had Cole's wolf's ears perking up. Both of the packs were there, new and old; Ali was there, but that voice Cole knew would be his undoing. Fighting his wolf every step of the way, Cole made his way to CJ. When he grabbed CJ around the neck and hauled their faces together the packs took notice, "Tell me to count the sand, Black" he grit out as his hand shook.

CJ was stupefied, he didn't know what the hell Cole was doing. Just as CJ was about tell him to fuck off, Cole gripped the back of his neck tighter. The voice grew nearer, she was calling out to him, asking for her ball back. "Make me count the fucking sand, Alpha." Cole snarled. CJ saw the angry pleading eyes of the wolf that had driven him nuts since the day they both phased all those years ago, but he did. and with a smile on his face. "Count every speck of sand at our feet, Uley. Don't do anything until I tell you otherwise." With a sigh of relief that the baby Alpha's command actually worked, Cole's arm dropped from CJ's neck and he began counting, looking at his toes counting every single speck of sand he could find.

When pink toes came into his vision he snarled at them and they quickly retreated, pulling at his wolf all the while. He was going crazy inside. The wolf was fighting with every thing he had to stop the order that the young Alpha had placed on him. Even as the heartbeat drifted away and not long after the scent did too, the wolf fought. The man smiled, smiled because he had just found a way to keep the most important thing in his life that day. He was still smiling four hours later when the sun was setting into the ocean and he was still counting sand, because without knowing it CJ had saved his sister from heartbreak and saved Cole's life in the process.

Cole and Ali sat on their deck nearly a year later; his elbows were on his knees his head hanging low. When Ali stood from her seat and crouched in front of him she asked him what was wrong with worry etched across her face. "I almost imprinted," he told her with such sorrow in his voice that she almost didn't feel her heart break. She bit back the tingle that shot down her spine, the snarl catching in her throat as her nails dug into the bare skin of his knees.

Before Ali could say anything else, Cole rushed to try and reassure her, but his words only angered her more. "It was almost a year ago Sarah, and I haven't told you because I wanted to make sure that she was gone, that it was done."

When her eyes turned into slits his words came faster, "I wasn't keeping this from you to hurt you, but you have to know Sarah that I love you and I would do anything for you. I haven't felt or thought about her since that day. The only person I've thought about is you, you are the only thing that matters to me and that's why I did what I did."

"What exactly did you do?" she asked through clenched teeth.

His breath escaped him in a rush, "As soon as I heard her voice on the beach I went and got CJ. I didn't tell him what was going on, but I made him order me to count the sand so I wouldn't look at her. Sarah, I didn't want to look at her. I wanted you. I was so fucking scared of losing you I didn't know what to do and it worked and she left and I haven't thought about her since, but you need to know this shit before I ask you to marry me."

"You're going to ask me – wait, where is she now? Is she from around here? Has she been back?" She was shooting the questions at him faster than he could answer them.

Looking up at her, a tear slipped down his cheek. "I don't know where she is now, but Aidan knew something was wrong with me that day, so he followed her when she left. That's why he was gone for a week after that bonfire. He told me that she was from England and had a life and boyfriend there. She hasn't been back, and Sarah," he said, taking her face into his palms, "I know she won't be."

He saw her mouth open, set and ready for another round of questions, "You gotta trust me, Sarah. You are my world, I'd never let my wolf do that to you."

Ali's eyes darted from left to right, reading his expression. Something in his eyes had her knowing the truth behind his words. He'd done it once, and she had faith that if the girl ever did come back he'd do it again. He'd fight for her.

Ali launched herself at Cole then, attacking his mouth with her own. Straddling his lap, she had him falling back into his seat, her tears mixed with his as she pressed her lips harder to his. When her lips roamed down his neck she could hear him telling her how scared he was, and that he'd prove his love to her everyday of the rest of his life if she'd just let him. It was that day that Cole and Ali's life changed. Less than nine months later they were married and had their first child.

* * *

CJ sat at the bonfire, nervous and fidgeting Sage at his side. He couldn't take his eyes off the ever growing fire or his hand off his wife's leg. Sage, on the other hand, was chatting on with Ali like nothing was going on and it was driving him nuts. How could she not be nervous as hell about this? Every now and then her palm would brush over the top of his hand, allowing his breath to escape in a rush. Twice now his sister had asked him what was going on with him and twice he had ignored her question.

A small body colliding with his back had CJ jerking forward on the log. He could hear Holden's laughter in his ear as his nephew wrapped his arms around his neck, "Uncle CJ aren't you going to come and play with us? Wes is whining a lot that you aren't throwing ball with the rest of us."

CJ reached around his back and pulled Holden around his body so the small boy was standing in front of him. Ruffling his hair, CJ laughed when the boy rolled his eyes and huffed, "Sure budd, I'll be there in a minute I just need to tell everyone something first."

At that, all activity from the adults around the bonfire stopped. CJ groaned at the attention, while Sage's hand tightened on his. He looked at her and smiled when he saw the blush creep up her cheeks. He shot a quick glance to Embry who had his son Isaac in a headlock, his eyebrow quirked when CJ eyes darted away quickly.

Gathering all the Alpha strength that he had, he stood bringing Sage with him. As you all know, we're here today celebrating Sage's graduation from nursing school, but I wanted to let you all know that I've gotten good news recently as well. He looked at Sage, her eyes wide knowing what he was about to say when he squeezed her hand. "Sage told me a month ago that she was pregnant -" the rest of his speech was then cut off when he heard both his mother and Angela Call cry out and then rush to Sage's side pulling her hand from his and then start with the questions.

He was looking around the pack searching for Embry when his father in law's hand slapped down onto his shoulder. He didn't jump, though; he had already put himself on high alert. Although Embry hadn't phased in years, he was still strong as hell and CJ could feel the pressure Embry was putting on his shoulder. " I was wondering when you were going to make me a grandpa. Kind of surprised it took you this long seeing as how Jake here has been one for four years."

CJ looked at both his father and Embry standing side by side, smiles on their faces, "I told you I wouldn't mess school up for her when I asked for her hand a year ago."

"That you did, and I'm glad you kept your word even through all the wedding planning."

Embry gave CJ a shake before walking over to his daughter, pushing his wife out of the way ever so gently and embracing his daughter. CJ's eyes caught his mother who was looking at him with red puffy eyes and he groaned before pulling Bella into his side, "Mom, it's going to be ok, why are you crying?"

"It's just my babies are growing up, first Ali has the boys and now you and Sage are pregnant. Before I know it, Marissa and Isaac and are going to be getting married and having babies too." At that, Bella burst into tears and buried her face into her son's side. His frantic searching for Jake had nearly all the people in attendance laughing at the scene.

Jake took Bella into his arms and soothed her, "Bells, the kids have a while before they are even going to start thinking about anything of the like."

Marissa's voice interrupted Jake's attempt to calm his wife when she screeched, "Isaac Call, you give that back to me right now or I'm never playing with you again."

Jake rubbed Bella's back when she looked to see what her daughter's outburst was about." See, they can't even get along for a few minutes, so I think marriage and babies are out for at least a little while."

Bella nodded into Jake's chest and let him lead her toward their daughter who now had her hands on her hips gearing up for a full blown tantrum.

CJ turned back to Sage who was staring at the scene along with most of the other guests and pulled her back into his chest, "You ready for that, honey?"

Sage hummed her answers as she laced her fingers through his and placed them over her still flat stomach, "More than anything, I'm ready."

* * *

Jake sat on a log not far from the bonfire watching Bella and Angela fuss over Sage. Embry was sitting beside him grumbling under his breath. Jake wasn't really sure what he was saying as his hearing wasn't what it used to be. Four years ago his son had officially taken over the Alpha roll. Jake and his pack had all decided not long after his daughter Marissa was born. Their wives were ready for them to stop, they were too really had been for a long time. The decision was made two months after his daughter was born. When Carlisle came back to Forks for Marissa's checkup he told both Jake and Bella that every thing was fine with her. She was growing like a weed, looking more like Bella than Jake every day. That day was the day that they also learned that Bella was still in the clear. In Carlisle's professional opinion the vampire venom was completely gone from her system.

Bella had no issues during her pregnancy and actually had gone nearly two weeks over due with their daughter. She was ecstatic to learn that she was able to have her daughter on the reservation although the tension of that day ran thick. Bella insisted that since Carlisle had told her everything was fine throughout her pregnancy that she wanted to try a home birth with Sue being the one to deliver. Hearing the news, both Charlie and Jake had put up a fight ending both of them in the hot seat. Charlie because Sue was more than capable of delivering babies, she had done so at the Rez clinic for nearly all of the pack members and others on the rez when they chose the at home route over going to the hospital in Forks, and Jake of course for protesting at all.

Bella had been completely different this pregnancy from what Jake could remember of the last. When Bella had been pregnant with the twins she was very mellow and had this earthy feel about her. She would often sit on Billy's front porch swinging, rubbing her belly. Cleaning the house, cooking and doing crafts had kept her busy while she was pregnant with the twins.

Her second pregnancy was very different. So much in fact, that it took Jake off-guard on the days that he would walk through the door exhausted from work and Bella would throw her naked swollen self at him. Not that he minded really, but no matter where they were, when Bella felt the need she acted on it. One time they were at dinner with Rachel and Paul when her hand had slipped under the table and began rubbing him. He had sputtered the food that he had just put to his mouth. Paul quirked a brow at him, then very loudly asked Jake in the middle of the restaurant if his pregnant wife was giving him a hand job in the middle of the restaurant. Before Jake could growl a warning at him, Bella's movements sped up and she countered with a, "Yes Paul, you never seemed to have a problem watching us before, what's the difference now?" Rachel nearly chocked on her food in horror as she snickered at her husband's bewildered expression. Needless to say, dinner ended early that night.

Bella was also quite the firecracker with this pregnancy; she had gotten so frustrated at Jake at one point that she had thrown a bowl of fruit at his head. There were many afternoons where Embry would come over to Jake's looking like he was about to cry, shove his imprint in Bella's direction and the two of them would go and sit out in the garage more scared than anything to deal with the crazy that their wives had become.

Jake chuckled, pulling Embry out of his grumbling to ask what was going on, "Just remembering when Bella was pregnant with Marissa." Embry's horrified face had Jake full out laughing while holding his stomach, "Emb, it wasn't that bad."

"Wasn't that bad?" Embry whisper yelled at Jake, who rolled his eyes in response. He had opened a can of worms with this one. "She would make me sleep with my head under the pillow, she said I was breathing too loud, and don't get me started on her and Bella ganging up on the both of us. I'm glad I got fixed after Isaac, I think I would die if you guys got pregnant again."

"Oh so that was our fault?"

"Oh screw you Jake, you know it was. Bella came over to the house all squealing about having a baby and got Angela worked up. I got the imprint eyes for almost a month before my wolf was about to break out and get the job done himself."

Jake's laughter frustrated Embry enough for him to huff and turn his back to his friend, which in turn had Jake laughing harder. Bella turned toward the sound of her husband's laughter. Jake merely shook his head and shot her a wink.

This pretty much was their life since the kids were born. Angela and Bella had been inseparable since the moment Angela announced her pregnancy to Bella, and Embry and Jake had been nearly the same. After all the years that Jake had leaned on Embry for support, Jake was more than happy to help Embry when he got the shock of his life. Everyone in the pack had often speculated about who Embry's father was, most thought that it was Josh Uley, but there was always that question in Embry's mind that it could have been Billy or Quil Ateara. It was a shock when Paul's dad had gotten sick and thought he was on his death bed when the confession came.

Apparently Paul's parents were having marriage troubles long before he returned to the rez with Paul when he was eight. He told Paul that not long after Paul was born his mother had told him that she wasn't sure she wanted either of them any more and he came back to the rez. He had known Tiffany Call from her short visits to the rez and it seemed as though Paul took after his father. It was a one night stand that led to Embry's mother getting pregnant.

Paul's dad had only been back on the rez for a month when his mother asked them to come back to Tacoma with her. Their relationship had been rocky from then until they divorced when Paul was eight. Paul's father had tried to help Tiffany raise Embry as best as he could but Paul's mother often used his affair against him and most of his money went to keeping her quiet.

When Paul had stumbled into the shop almost looking as pale as a vampire every one of the guys shot to their feet out of fear, all of them at that point were struggling with stopping phasing. Paul had walked over to Embry and pulled him into a hug that left everyone stunned. Paul wasn't a touchy feely kind of guy. The only people that he had any real contact with was Rachel and his kids.

As Paul held Embry, he kept telling him how sorry he was and that had set everyone on edge. Although Jake hated to do it, everyone was getting worked up, so he summoned enough strength to order Paul to tell them just what the hell was going on. It was then that Paul pushed Embry back whose eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. Still holding onto Embry's shoulders, Paul told him that they were brothers. There was a chorus of "Oh shits" and "Fucks" before anyone realized that the back door to the shop had been ripped off. Embry and Paul's shredded clothes were scattered only feet from the door.

Jake had phased and found the both of them surprisingly not fighting but Paul was comforting Embry and telling him how sorry he was for all the hell that he had put him through about being a bastard child. All three of them had stayed phased for nearly two days before Angela found Embry on the cliffs.

Things were rocky between Embry and his father for a while after that, but when he had gotten better this seemed to smooth out. So much so, that he was a constant in all of their lives now and after the diabetes scare and a good talking to from Billy Black, he got on the straight and narrow.

Looking at the now dwindling fire, Jake felt a tap on his shoulder. Leaning back he made enough room for her to slip into his lap before he folded her between his arms. Although his wolfy senses were nothing like they used to be, his sense of smell was still as strong as it had been, and for that he was thankful. Bella's scent wrapped around him and he rested his head against her shoulder.

"You tired, honey?"

"Just a little it's been a busy day."

Jake hummed into her neck as he kissed the spot where he had marked her all those years ago, "The kids getting along a little better?"

Jake heard Embry laugh at his question, and his head snapped up. Embry was pointing across the fire and Jake followed his finger. There on a log, barely within eyesight, Isaac and Marissa sat, hands laced together, heads resting against each other, sleeping soundly.

It was Jake's turn to grumble under his breath, causing Bella to chuckle, "You're going to have to watch him when he gets older, Embry," a slight warning in his tone.

"Oh like you watched CJ around Sage?"

"It's different, they were imprinted, I knew they'd end up together."

"Yeah, well she was still my little girl, and it didn't make it any easier when your kid was pawing all over her."

"At least you could see into his head, those two," Jake said while pointing the still sleeping kids, "are never going to phase, since the Cullens aren't going to come back, so I'm not going to be able to see what your son's thinking about my daughter."

Their conversation was interrupted when Charlie walked up behind Jake and slapped a hand down on his shoulder, "You know, those two look just like you and Bells when you were kids, act like you, too. You kids would go at it sometimes, fight and play mad, but at the end of the day me and Billy would always find you two cuddled up sleepin' somewhere. When I'd tell Bells we had to leave you'd throw one hell of a fit, Jake."

Charlie didn't say anything else before he walked away chuckling, Jake wondered then what kind of hell Charlie went through every time he caught him trying to kiss his daughter and he made a mental note to ask him about it in the morning.

Jake felt Bella's weight slump against him and he knew that she was sleeping. Holding her tight in his arms, he stood from the log. As he made his way around telling everyone that he'd see them in the morning, Bella woke to tell Emily that she would see her at the shop in the morning. Emily shook her head while yawing out her response of "I'll see you then."

Cole walked over to Jake, both of his kids in his arms and told him that Ali was getting Marissa and they were going to drop her off on their way to the house. As Jake looked over his shoulder, Ali was shaking her awake and when she whispered something into her ear she started to cry and her grip on Isaac's hand tightened. Finally Ali was able to get the two separated before she walked over to Jake and exasperated look on her face, "I told her she could call him when she got home, she wants to make sure he's ok." Rolling his eyes, Jake made his way to the car.

When they walked in the house Bella was shuffling along side Jake, all of her weight pressed into his side. Cole took Holden and Wes to Ali's old room while Ali took Marissa to her room to lay her in bed. Sitting down on the back deck, Jake held Bella in his arms.

As he looked out into the black forest Jake smiled. His wife pressed to his chest, his daughter and her husband a man that Jake and grown to love and respect were in the house singing their children to sleep, and the news that Jake was going to be a grandfather again had him reeling. The fact that his son was Alpha of a pack that CHOSE to continue phasing to protect their land, and the knowledge that no more wolves were set to phase, nor would they as long as the Cullens stayed away had him the happiest man on Earth. He was proud of his people and of his family, and the woman that he held in his arms was because she was strong enough to fight for him all those years and as he held her he swore to her that he would always, always fight for her.

* * *

Edward Cullen sat on his balcony looking out at the Vermont forest. He never thought he would love living in a place as much as he had loved living in Forks. When he had asked Erin years ago where she wanted to move this time she told him that she loved Vermont the last time they had been to the Northeast. Two weeks later they bought a house on a little more than a hundred acres, but also bordered the Green Mountain National Forest. The forest was so much like Forks that it immediately felt like home. They had stayed here longer than they should have, but honestly it was hard for them to leave.

Edward was happy today. It seemed strange to him as he thought of the reasons why he was so happy, but today, as he knew it, was their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary and from what Ali had told him earlier this afternoon, they were still going strong. Back then he had never thought the news that Bella Swan being married to Jacob Black would have been something that made him happy, but over the years, hearing about how happy she was with her life on the reservation, Edward learned to like Jacob Black. If he could keep her safe and happy then he was happy.

Edward had learned some thirty five years ago that the last wolf in La Push had finally stopped phasing, Bella's son CJ had phased for a little more than five years after his second son was born he had chosen to finally stop phasing because it had been nearly that long since any trace of a vampire was found. No one had really known why all the activity in the area had pretty much ceased, although their was speculation that a rogue young female vampire had escaped the fight that day and had spoken of the horrors that she had seen. Either way it came as a huge relief to both the Cullens and the La Push pack that none of their young were bound to the same fate that they were.

Through the years, Edward had learned that Ali had two sons, and both of them had married people from within the tribe and were starting families of their own. CJ's children, although younger than Ali's were on the same path.

One day, years ago, Edward had received a letter from Bella. He knew it was from her even before he had opened it. Her strawberry scent permeated the air in his car as he had drove up the winding drive. The letter was short but in it she told Edward how thankful she was for saving her life all those years ago and how happy she was for him to have found someone as great as Erin. Erin and Bella had met very briefly while she was pregnant, but the two had just as much in common as they had different. They had bonded over the books that they loved and the love for the Cullens. The letter also made Edward aware that her daughter was marring Embry Call's son, both of which were the same age. The two, from what Edward had learned over the years, were nearly inseparable since birth. He could smell her salty tears on the paper when she wrote about her daughter and what it was like to actually watch one of her children grow from birth and for that, she was eternally grateful to him.

Edward stiffened when he felt a set of arms wrap around the back of his neck. Erin kissed the side of his neck and her laughter had him smiling. "I got you," she whispered into his ear, her cool breath making him shiver in excitement. Over the years, with the help of Carlisle and his books, Erin was learning more about the vampire powers that she had acquired when she was turned. Not only did she not like the smell or taste of human blood, but it actually made her sick. She couldn't eat human food; she had tried that more than once with Emmett. But along the way, Erin was learning how to open her thoughts to Edward as well as close them off. When she didn't want him to hear her, if she tried hard enough he couldn't. Something that the two had been thankful for.

Erin knew why Edward was sitting here looking out to the forest. He was thinking about the past, about Bella. Erin knew that Edward didn't love Bella as he once had, but that didn't mean that he didn't still care for her, all of the Cullens did. Erin herself could see why all of them loved Bella as much as they did.

"Do you want to talk to me about it, Edward?"

Edward hummed as her nails worked through his messy bronze hair; it was always how she coaxed him into talking to her when he didn't really feel like doing so.

"Alice said that she was healthy that they both were, but I can't help but wonder for how much longer," Erin's hand stopped its movement across his scalp as she heard him swallow thickly.

"I've never-none of us have ever been close to a human still when they passed. We had completely separated from our families or lost them all together before we were turned, what are we going to do when she passes?"

Erin's hands left his hair and worked down his neck and then wrapped around as she lowered her face to his ear, "I'm not going to lie to you Edward, it's going to be hard, seeing as how close all of you are to her still, but knowing that all these years how happy she has been with her human life, how grateful even now she still is toward all of you will help. When it happens and you are having trouble coming to terms with it know that she lived her life the way that she wanted to. Know that she made it full and happy by having children with the man that she was made for and was given grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Know that it was all because of the sacrifice you made all of those years ago. You could have been selfish, Edward and let her turn, having her as yours for all eternity but you knew that's not what she wanted, and you gave her the gift of life. In return she gave that life everything she had."

Edward wrapped his hands around Erin's bringing one of them to his mouth, dropping a kiss there. He knew it would be hard when Bella passed, but he also knew that Erin would be there to help and support his family in every way that she knew how. For that, Edward would be eternally thankful to her, the one woman that was made for him.

~FIN~

_**I'm hoping the Epilogue did the story justice. I want to let my readers know that all of the reviews, PM's and support that I have gotten during the writing of this story has been amazing. This experience was so much fun and I have no one to thank but you. **_


	30. PLEASE READ important info inside

A/N: Due to the recent site PURGE I have edited almost all of my stories so far, the only ones that have not been edited are Lost Time, Lost To Me and That If By Chance It Be Shaken. The reason why I haven't edited mostly is because these stories are my babies and it really is just hard for me to do it. That If By Chance doesn't really have content in it at this point that needs edited either.

The reason why I am posting this is because I've been asked by fans of all these stories if it was ok to download them, in the event that they are deleted from the site. If you want to download them you are more than welcome. The three stories above will NOT be edited until Friday because I have to work and other family obligations.

Also if you want to read the original UN-EDITED versions of ALL of my stories you can do so at:

jacobblack-n-pack(dot)ning(dot)com

My Blog: http(:)/ / lynnsficbackup(dot)blogspot(dot)com/

I've also just recently been accepted to AO3, my name over there is Lynn as of yet I don't have any stories posted but soon.

_**Sorry**_ for posting this as an update, I didn't mean to get anyone's hopes up for outtakes but I thought you all had the right to know what was going on. You can also find these links in my profile and I am also on twitter. At teamnoshirt


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